Amnesty International USA supports the proposal to close the Tamms Correctional Center

AIUSA has long been concerned that conditions in the maximum security facility, where prisoners are confined for up to 23 hours a day in cells with stark surroundings, often for months or years, with little exercise, human contact, work or educational opportunities, flouts international standards for the humane treatment of prisoners.

“Governor Quinn’s proposal to close the Tamms supermax facility is not only the fiscally sound thing to do; it is also the right one,” said Debra Erenberg, Midwest regional director for Amnesty International. “We urge the legislature to follow the governor’s recommendation and not spend Illinois taxpayers’ money on a facility that has been found to violate international standards for the care and treatment of prisoners.”

There is a significant body of evidence in the United States and elsewhere that prolonged isolation and lack of[...]

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