Solitary confinement

The New Yorker has a lengthy piece this week that tackles the issue of solitary confinement - the psychological implications of solitary are quite serious and the article questions whether this type of punishment is humane. The British experiences with alternatives to solitary are intriguing.

article at New Yorker

Random acts of violence

The recession must be hitting hard. It seems like these kinds of things come out of the woodwork when the economy tanks.

Today - 16 killed in school attack in Germany
Yesterday - 10 people dead in Alabama shooting rampage
Two days ago - a shooter at an Illinois church

Oh, and someone in Alabama and Florida is putting acid in rest area soap dispensers