Thanks for the Thomas Silverstein fact. TIL. The &quot;other side&quot; does explain their rationale, valid or not:<p>&gt; &quot;When an inmate kills a guard, he must be punished,&quot; a Bureau of Prisons official told author Pete Earley. &quot;We can’t execute Silverstein, so we have no choice but to make his life a living hell. Otherwise other inmates will kill guards too. There has to be some supreme punishment. Every convict knows what Silverstein is going through. We want them to realize that if they cross the same line that he did, they will pay a heavy price.&quot;<p>The solitary confinement practice needs a spotlight on it. A long-term &quot;no human contact&quot; order seems like torture. I&#x27;m glad Obama recognizes the risk of this in juveniles at least.