U.S. torture doctors and psychologists

Assessing Torture

With their diagnostic training and experience, health professionals can be especially skilled at assessing what is torture or severe abuse.  For example, in the film the psychologist working for the defense of Mohammed Jawad carefully assessed the young man’s severe depression and its origins in abuse and years of isolation.

When do you think solitary confinement is torture?

Show Answer

The United Nations Rapporteur on Torture has declared that Solitary Confinement:

  • can amount to torture for juveniles and persons with mental disabilities and should be abolished for them
  • can be a breach of article 1 or 16 of Convention against Torture depending on reasons, conditions, length
  • should be used only in very exceptional circumstances for as short a time as possible, and with numerous safeguards or it can become abusive
*http://solitaryconfinement.org/uploads/SpecRapTortureAug2011.pdf