Since prisoners often possess valuable information on other crimes that may implicate others, they are often sought out to provide confessions to law enforcement authorities. Occasionally the authorities will use extreme or excessive tactics against inmates to get these confessions. These tactics sometimes rise to the level of torture tactics.
The United Nations Convention Against Torture defines torture as "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity."
Despite the absolute prohibition on state-sponsored torture, its practice still occurs in some US prisons. In fact, the use of torture tactics is fast becoming a global epidemic. If we want to end the abuse of prison inmates, we have to take a stand against all acts of aggression against prisoners.
There are many organizations – national and international - that serve as watchdogs for prisoner torture and abuse. Any kind of physical, psychological, or social mistreatment that produces a hostile or otherwise unsafe prison environment could be considered an example of prisoner abuse.
The prisoner rights attorneys of the Bell Legal Group take all forms of prison misconduct very seriously. If you or a loved one believes that your civil rights were violated due to an injustice by prison authorities, consider that torture tactics may have played a part. Learn whether your case demonstrates an example of a prisoner's right abuse by contacting the attorneys of the Bell Legal Group to discuss your case.
Our skilled lawyers are willing and able to litigate cases involving prisoner rights abuse. Our counsel and research will determine whether such violations give you a case.
The Association for the Prevention of Torture, a human rights organization
The United Nations Commission for Human Rights, Official Treaty Text
The European Convention for the Prevention of Torture
Human Rights Watch Summary of International Torture Regulations
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