Friday, September 9, 2011

TAMMS SUPERMAX PRISON

Tamms Year Ten!!!


Tamms is a supermax prison that is located here in Illinois. They hold everyone of their prisoners in solitary confinement, permanently! "Prisoners never leave their cells except to shower or to exercise alone in a concrete pen." The United Nations has recognized solitary confinement as a form of torture falling under the fifth article in the Human Rights Declaration. 
"When the prison opened in 1998, prisoners were told they would be housed at Tamms for one year. When we launched Tamms Year Ten in 2008, one-third of the prisoners had been there over a decade."
"Tamms Year Ten is a coalition of prisoners, ex-prisoners, families, attorneys and other concerned citizens who came together, after ten years of misguided and inhumane policies, to call for legislative oversight at Tamms. Help us end psychological torture in Illinois." 
Artist Laurie Jo Reynolds has actively participated in their fight to put a stop to Tamms. This image is one of her mud stencils she uses to spread the word and create awareness of the torture that is going on right here in the state of Illinois!

1 comment:

  1. if you're interested in laurie jo's work, you might also want to check out the public square and their director, alice kim. she's done a ton of work around prisons, inmates, and the death penalty.

    http://www.prairie.org/programs/public-square

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