News from the American "Super-Max"

At the BBC, Sean Clare and Daniel Nasaw report on conditions in American "Super-Max" prisons, with a focus on ADX Florence in Colorado:

"The prison, known for its high-profile inmates, small cells and restrictions on contact with the outside world, has an infamous international reputation: mainly because of its policy of holding its inmates in almost permanent solitary confinement."

At The Atlantic, Andrew Cohen reports on the suicide of Jose Martin Vega at ADX Florence. A lawsuit alleges that officials at the notorious prison are responsible for Vega's death:

"The pending complaint alleges that Supermax officials mistreated Vega in contravention of Bureau of Prison policies governing the treatment of prisoners with mental health diagnoses. "BOP policies require that mentally ill prisoners be monitored on an ongoing basis to asses treatment compliance," the complaint states, but "BOP does not provide adequate mental health staffing at ADX Florence, given the size of the mental health caseload at that facility." Vega may be gone, in other words, but the problems his case highlight likely linger."