ABSTRACT
In 1997 Human Rights Watch published a report entitled Cold Storage: SuperMaximum Security Confinement in Indiana. Based on research conducted in the wake of a class action lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Corrections, Cold Storage documents conditions of confinement in two Indiana facilities, including their policies and security measures, the reported behaviour of staff, and excerpts from prisoner interviews. Human Rights Watch concludes that:
While highly critical, Cold Storage also expresses approval of a number of positive changes made by the Indiana DOC, and offers specific recommenda tions designed to lessen the harm of this form of confinement. Unlike the general statement above, these recommendations suggest specific policies of operation such as, for example: 'Provide frequent monitoring by qualified mental health professionals . . . to identify [inmates] who need mental health services' (ibid., p. 14).
