Innocent Man Spends 2 Years In Solitary Confinement

[Stylo]

Like, whoa.

Stephen Slevin was driving along a rural highway in southern New Mexico in August 2005 when traffic police pulled him over and arrested him on suspicion of drink-driving, along with a string of other motoring offences. By the time all of the charges against him were dismissed and Mr Slevin was released from custody, it was 2007. For reasons that remain unclear, officials had forced him to spend the intervening two years in solitary confinement.

During the ordeal, he claims to have been denied access to basic washing facilities for months at a time. He'd lost a third of his body weight, grown a beard down to his chest and was suffering from bed sores. Prison officials had also ignored his pleas to see a dentist, forcing him to pull out his own tooth. They declined other requests for attention, including an audience with a mental health professional. He duly became delirious and says that by the time of his release he'd "been driven mad".

This week, a jury in Albuquerque ordered Dona Ana County, which was responsible for incarcerating Slevin without trial, to pay $22m (£14m) in compensation. It was the largest award ever granted to a US prisoner whose civil rights have been violated.

Full article here.

Massive breach of Human Rights. Discuss.

 

[Remus]

Imprisonment of an innocent person aside, what I find disgusting is the use of solitary confinement. It is torture. It should be illegal, and yet it is used in almost all prisons...

 

[ríomhaire]

I hope sues and wins. Well, what I actually hope is the people who did this get fired, arrested and convicted of being ****ing scum but I know that's not going to happen.

 

[mechanicallizard]

Fuuck, I was in solitary for awhile and handled it alright. But for 2 ****ing years? If he isnt completely crazy by now, then hes one tough mother****er.

 

[dfc05]

From the article, sounds like he did go insane

Makes me sad also that it seems he didn't have anyone on the outside to be like, "Hey, whatever happened to Stephen, haven't seen him lately" and get him out of there.

 

[Kadayi]

Makes me sad also that it seems he didn't have anyone on the outside to be like, "Hey, whatever happened to Stephen, haven't seen him lately" and get him out of there.

True enough.

 

[Stylo]

Makes me sad also that it seems he didn't have anyone on the outside to be like, "Hey, whatever happened to Stephen, haven't seen him lately" and get him out of there.

Aye, I too would like to know if he had any family / friends and where they were in all this. I'd have to agree with Remus as well. I mean, from reading the article and how he described his ordeal, it does sound like torture. They ignored his pleas for help, left him to deteriorate, the fact he ended up pulling out his own tooth because he couldn't see a dentist... Just locked away from everyone, no attention paid to him until he went literally crazy.

Sounds pretty hellish and the reason they gave for putting him in there was lame. If anything, by my logic at least, solitary confinement would worsen suicidal tendencies, would it not?

:/

 

[DEATHMASTER]

I was in solitary for awhile

wat :|

 

[Sulkdodds]

Acts of violence by authorities that are outside the bounds allowed by law should be punished as criminal. Kidnapping, assault, whatever else. But hey, compensation is probably of more use to the victim in this case.

 

[mechanicallizard]

wat :|

Fun times. Capital F for extra funtasticness

 

[sixteenth]

I'd do it for 22 million.

 

[Bad^Hat]

What would a mad man even do with 22 million dollars? You know, after the gold mansion and rocket car.

 

[Krynn72]

What would a mad man even do with 22 million dollars? You know, after the gold mansion and rocket car.

He'd buy a gold mansion rocket car, duh.

 

[PvtRyan]

I think I'd be pretty good at solitary confinement. After all, I've been practicing for years.

For 22 million? Challenge accepted.

 

[Krynn72]

Yeah, I'd probably be okay with it. Not super stoked about it, but I think I could emerge non-insane. The physical health problems would suck though, and even for 22mil I'm not sure I'd want to risk that kind of negligence. He could have died from that.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

And this was a white man. Who knows what those asses would've done to anyone else.

 

[Bad^Hat]

There's a difference between voluntarily solitude and non-voluntary, between choosing to be alone and being trapped by yourself. Also I'm wagering when you're alone you're usually occupying yourself somehow. I doubt they'd let you take a PSP in there.

 

[Stylo]

You guys would know you were getting $22m at the end of it, though. You'd also know the length of time you were spending in there. That would have a huge impact on your state of mind.

 

[Remus]

There's a difference between voluntarily solitude and non-voluntary, between choosing to be alone and being trapped by yourself. Also I'm wagering when you're alone you're usually occupying yourself somehow. I doubt they'd let you take a PSP in there.

What he said. Semi hermit lifestyle =/= solitary confinement. Even if you spend most of your time alone indoors only going out when necessary, you still always keep your brain stimulated somehow. Whether it's the internet, tv, music, reading, painting, etc.
Whereas in solitary confinement you've got a 3x3 room with no windows, and nothing to do but think about stuff or sleep, 24 hours a day for 2 ****ing years! I guarantee you, you would crack.

 

[Krynn72]

Whereas in solitary confinement you've got a 3x3 room with no windows, and nothing to do but think about stuff or sleep, 24 hours a day for 2 ****ing years!

Arthritis like a mother****er.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

**** the police.

They're saying CO's who did this were let go. Where are the criminal charges in this for those responsible? This is not solely a civil matter to be settled for money. It is important to safeguard our constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial.

Side note- this wasn't "innocent man in solitary" because that makes it sound like he was wrongly convicted but turned out innocent. This guy didn't even get a trial. The charge he was facing doesnt even carry a sentence that could be that bad. Basically he was locked up awaiting trial and basically the system somehow forgot about him but the CO's in the jail didnt bother to check on it and release him, and instead locked him up and effectively tortured him.

 

[The Monkey]

How the **** does this even happen? Didn't he have a lawyer?