RIHLA #27

---

<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; line-height: normal;" />This happened in a prision camp in Minnesota in 2011. Those who are involved are terminally ill inmates and prisoners with extraordinary family circumstances. They are given an early way out called compassionate release and have to be applied for through requests and paperwork. This was made an exception 30 years ago by Congress.

The human rights violated were the 5th and 9th. The 5th says no cruel tortue, inhuman treatment or punishment and this is done because as stated, "only about two dozen inmates a year get compassionate release, though thousands may be eligible under that program". Rice died in that prison and should have been accepted to an early way out but was denied twice. The 9th was violated because Rice was detained unfairly though he was eligible for the program.

My thoughts on this issue are that I feel bad for the families of the terminally ill person. The reason is because the children already have enough to deal with and missing a parent and even talking about it can be embarrassing. For the families that had hope of ever seeing their loved one come home are crushed. No I don't think that enough is being done because the system can not run itself it needs to have organization, which it lacks and have a mission that is to do everything that will benefit the person who is ill. A solution to this could be to get all incoming and current prisoners who are terminally ill separated from healthy prisoners. The terminally ill should be allowed to apply since they are all eligible. Next, the process should be quick since many of these prisoners are limited on time. Lastly, an organized group should handle this system so that nothing can be done unfairly and be fast and efficient.

---