Testimonies of Torture in New Jersey Prisons
Testimonies of Torture in New Jersey Prisons EVIDENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS A collection of testimonies from prisoners in New Jersey prisons, documenting uses of physical, chemical, and no-touch torture, among other human rights abuses. American Friends Service Committee Northeast Region Healing Justice Program Edited by: Bonnie Kerness Director, Prison Watch Program 89 Market Street, 6th floor Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 643-3192 Editorial Assistant Jessica Gonzalez Intern, Prison Watch Program Torture in New Jersey Prisons ǀ Evidence of Human Rights Violations February 2015 INTRODUCTION The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker faith based organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action. AFSC’s interest in prison reform is strongly influenced by Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) activism addressing prison conditions as informed by the imprisonment of Friends for their beliefs and actions in the 17th and 18th centuries. AFSC has spoken out on behalf of prisoners whose voices are all too frequently silenced. Drawing on continuing spiritual insights and working with people of many backgrounds, we nurture the seeds of change and respect for human life that transform social relations and systems. For over two decades, the Prison Watch Program of the American Friends Service Committee, located in Newark, NJ, has been collecting testimonies in the form of letters from prisoners across the United States. These letters document various human rights abuses in US prisons, including, but not limited to, physical, chemical, and no-touch torture at the local, state and federal levels. It is clear that the concepts of international human rights law need to find their way into the US law enforcement, judicial and prison systems.
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