Release of man who spent 43 years in solitary confinement temporarily blocked; prosecutors vow to k - Polidicks

[IMG]http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2015/6/9/397935/default/v3/albert-548x331-1-762x428.jpg[/IMG] Excerpts from three articles [URL]http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/08/us/albert-woodfox-angola-3-release-ordered/[/URL] [URL]http://news.sky.com/story/1499249/release-of-last-angola-three-inmate-blocked[/URL] [URL]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33059012[/URL] [quote][B]A court has temporarily blocked the release of the last "Angola Three" inmate, who has been held for more than 40 years in solitary confinement.[/B] It comes a day after US District Judge James Brady ordered the immediate release of Louisiana prisoner Albert Woodfox, 68, and barred prosecutors from trying him for a third time. But a spokesman for the Louisiana attorney general said prosecutors would appeal "to make sure this murderer stays in prison and remains fully accountable for his actions". He has been in solitary confinement since April 1972, after he was blamed for the death of a guard during a prison riot. Woodfox and two other prisoners - Robert King and Herman Wallace - became known as the Angola Three because of their long stretches in solitary confinement at the prison, which human rights experts have said constitutes torture. Woodfox and Wallace, who were both serving sentences for unrelated armed robberies, claimed they were singled out because of their political activism. Woodfox was tried twice for the guard's death, but both convictions were later overturned. He denies all the charges. They were both former members of the Black Panther Party - a group set up to protect residents in African American neighbourhoods from police violence - and helped to set up a branch of the party at the Angola prison in 1971. Wallace, who was convicted with Woodfox of the murder of guard Brent Miller, died last year days after a judge freed him and granted him a new trial. King was released in 2001 after his conviction in the death of a fellow inmate in 1973 was overturned. Woodfox has been tried and convicted twice over Mr Miller's death, but both convictions have been quashed. Judge Brady ruled that he doubted Louisiana could provide a "fair third trial". He also noted Woodfox's age and poor health, the "prejudice done on to Mr Woodfox by spending over 40 years in solitary[/quote] All three were part of the "Angola three," unrelated in their crimes but shared similar circumstances in solitary. Includes Woxford (OP), King and Wallace. King and Wallace have been freed, but Wallace died days after his release. King went on to be an advisor for Solitary Watch. "I get confused" [quote]King, however, feels he spent 29 years in solitary before his 2001 release. He now serves as an adviser for Solitary Watch, a project devoted to research and reporting on solitary confinement. He told CNN last year he still has issues with orientation after more than a generation in a 6-by-9-by-12-foot cell. "I get confused as to where I am, where I should be," he said. "[B]The brain somehow won't register things, and it won't register exactly where I am[/B]." [/quote] Factsheet [quote] - 80,000 prisoners estimated to be in solitary confinement in the US - Held in 44 states, 25,000 in super-maximum security ("supermax") jails - Conditions vary, but can include up to 23 hours a day confined alone - Psychologists warn of negative reactions, such as isolation panic - UN torture rapporteur wants global ban in all but exceptional circumstances - Proponents say needed to protect other prisoners and staff [I]Sources: ACLU, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Solitarywatch.com, Louisiana Prison Watch[/I][/quote] BBC: [URL="http://How do people survive solitary confinement?"]How do people survive solitary confinement?[/URL] Whether he is going to remain locked up or not, the effects are clear; even after release he will permanently suffer effects from solitary confinement. This is not a "year-specific sentence," over time it sticks with you for life. Solitary is torture.

-snip nevermind same person new news-

I would rather be dead than in solitary confinement. I've read about this stuff, and that shit destroys your brain and sends you into a spiral of depression.

[QUOTE=wauterboi;47920599]I would rather be dead than in solitary confinement. I've read about this stuff, and that shit destroys your brain and sends you into a spiral of depression.[/QUOTE] Hell no, this is the best time to learn how to use your superpowers.

I know you're trying to make a joke just to ease things a little, and I won't damn you for it, but this stuff is seriously one of the worst forms of torture that I just can't laugh about. It depresses me.

As I posted in the other thread to put a bit of perspective onto how fucked this guy's life is: Over 70% of the victims of post-incarceration suicides (considered within the first year post-release for the purpose of the study where these figures are from) are previously diagnosed with a psychiatric condition, 20% were admitted to prison health care for mental illness and 30% had received mental health treatment after release. Source: D. Pratt, L. Appleby, M. Piper, R. Webb, and J. Shaw. (2010). Suicide in recently released prisoners: A case-control study. Psychological Medicine, 40(5):827-835. There is a very large chance this man will kill him self within the next year (if he is released this year) simply because of how long he as been locked up and the mental effects solitary confinement has on people who spend much MUCH less time in it. They have literally ruined this man's life to the point that they should be tried for premeditated murder if he commits suicide. This isn't even accounting for all the other things that are going to be an issue, the potential issue of him committing suicide dwarfs them and these fucking assholes don't care about that, they care more about keeping him locked up, they'd probably put him in an electric chair themselves if they had the ability.

Goddamn, no matter the crime, 42 fucking years locked in solitary confinement is punishment enough, the dude deserves to be free. You'd think the UN would step in for cases like these and kick the US's ass for all these inhumane shit they do. edit; I cant even fucking imagine what 42 years locked in a room would do to your brain, just thinking about my life up until this point, locked in a room. Then double it. Fuck that.

[QUOTE=mr apple;47920854]Goddamn, no matter the crime, 42 fucking years locked in solitary confinement is punishment enough, the dude deserves to be free. You'd think the UN would step in for cases like these and kick the US's ass for all these inhumane shit they do. edit; I cant even fucking imagine what 42 years locked in a room would do to your brain, just thinking about my life up until this point, locked in a room. Then double it. Fuck that.[/QUOTE] I have a hard time even imagining 42 years. That's a ludicrous amount of time.

Isn't this exactly the reason that cruel and unusual punishment laws exist? Why did this happen?

[QUOTE=Kenneth;47920873]Isn't this exactly the reason that cruel and unusual punishment laws exist? Why did this happen?[/QUOTE] because Louisiana fucking [I]hates[/I] the Angola 3.

I know this is terrible but I see their logic. When you have been locked up for years its very hard to connect with the new world. Most inmates end up comitting suicide.

I'm sorry but Angola Three sounds like a superhero/supervillain squad.

[QUOTE=Haskell;47920907]I know this is terrible but I see their logic. When you have been locked up for years its very hard to connect with the new world. Most inmates end up comitting suicide.[/QUOTE] That doesn't seem to be what they're going for. Either way, I'm hoping that if Woodfox ever gets out, his friend Robert King will help him out.

[QUOTE=Haskell;47920907]I know this is terrible but I see their logic. When you have been locked up for years its very hard to connect with the new world. Most inmates end up comitting suicide.[/QUOTE] No, most inmates wrongfully imprisoned extract expensive settlements from the state, this guy clearly has one on the horizon since they've held him for 25 years in solitary by breaking double jeopardy laws and repeatedly violating any indiscriminate on laws In jury selection. The state doesn't want to pay out so they'll do their damndest to keep him locked up so this problem goes away

[QUOTE=Haskell;47920907]I know this is terrible but I see their logic. When you have been locked up for years its very hard to connect with the new world. Most inmates end up comitting suicide.[/QUOTE] That isn't their logic at all. They're not keeping him locked up for his own good. Even so, you can't just say "Well you might not survive outside so we're just gonna leave you here." [quote]Woodfox has been tried and convicted twice over Mr Miller's death, but both convictions have been quashed.[/quote] Tried and convicted twice, both times the conviction was overturned. There's no reason for him to still be in prison, let alone solitary.

For violating that constitution rule against bad punishing,, he should be freed, paraded around the state and then the people who oppose impaled Nobody messes with the state

[QUOTE=wauterboi;47920599]I would rather be dead than in solitary confinement. I've read about this stuff, and that shit destroys your brain and sends you into a spiral of depression.[/QUOTE] I would consider it to be not far off from sensory deprivation.

This guy probably thinks that the Soviet Union still exists

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;47929532]This guy probably thinks that the Soviet Union still exists[/QUOTE] christ, imagine how it must feel to essentially be taken out of planet Earth as you know it for that long. i suppose you could say that for any person in prison for a long time, but this guy has had zero contact from anyone for over 40 years...

I support the death penalty and even I think that solitary confinement is [I] fucking barbaric[/i]