Summary
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the near-solitary confinement conditions imposed on individuals on Virginia's death row violated the Eighth Amendment. These conditions involved inmates spending 23 to 24 hours per day in their cells with minimal social interaction. The court's decision stemmed from the finding that such an environment presented a substantial risk of causing severe psychological harm.
Summary
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the near-solitary confinement conditions for prisoners on death row in Virginia violated the Eighth Amendment. These conditions involved individuals spending 23 to 24 hours daily inside their cells with very little social interaction. The court's decision was based on the finding that such confinement presented a significant danger of serious psychological harm.
Summary
A federal appeals court, known as the Fourth Circuit, ruled that Virginia's method of holding death-row inmates in near-solitary confinement was against the Eighth Amendment. This form of confinement meant prisoners spent 23 to 24 hours each day in their cells, with very little social interaction. The court decided that this situation posed a significant risk of causing serious psychological harm.
Summary
A court looked at a case about prisoners in Virginia. These prisoners were waiting for death and lived almost completely alone. They stayed in their cells for 23 or 24 hours each day. They had very little contact with other people. The court decided that keeping prisoners alone like this was wrong. It broke a rule in the country's main law, called the Eighth Amendment. This rule says punishments must not be too cruel. The court said this type of living could cause serious harm to a prisoner's mind.