ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Human Rights Watch wishes to thank each of the prisoners, correctional staff, mental health professionals, attorneys, and advocates who shared experiences, information, materials, and insights with us in the course of research for this report.  We want to acknowledge especially the invaluable assistance from correctional mental health and law experts who generously contributed time to helping us understand and synthesize the concepts addressed in this report, including Professor Fred Cohen, Dr. Jane Haddad, Lindsey Hayes, Dr. Terry Kupers, Dr. Richard Lamb, David Lovell,Ph.D., Steve Martin, Esq., Dr. Jeffrey Metzner, and Professor Hans Toch, Dr. Terry Kupers also participated in a research mission to Indiana with Human Rights Watch in 1997.  Several state corrections authorities, convinced of the importance of this project, were particularly helpful in giving us access to their staff and facilities, including: Secretary of the Washington State Department of CorrectionsJoseph D. Lehman; Robert Horel at the California Department of Corrections; Beth Anderson, health services administrator, Washington Department of Corrections; Brett Rayford, Connecticut Department of Correction; Lance Couturier, chief psychologist, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections; and Dr. Thomas Powell, director of clinical services, Vermont Department of Corrections.  They were all extremely gracious with their time and energy.  We also want to specially note extraordinary assistance from attorneys Donna Brorby, David Fathi, Tara Herivel, Sarah Kerr, Patricia Perlmutter, Antonio Poinvert, Betsy Sterling, and Todd Winstrom, all of whom we interviewed numerous times during the research for this report.  In addition, our deepest thanks go to the staff at the Council on State Government and the Correctional Association of New York, who were more than generous in sharing information and ideas with us.  Finally, we with to express our great gratitude to Fred Cohen, David Fathi, Craig Haney, Terry Kupers, and Jeffrey Metzner for carefully reviewing and commenting on earlier drafts of this report. 

Sasha Abramsky, a consultant to Human Rights Watch, and Jamie Fellner, director of the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch are the authors of this report.  It was edited by Joseph Saunders, deputy program director at Human Rights Watch, and James Ross, senior legal advisor.  It is based principally on research by Mr. Abramsky, with additional research by Ms. Fellner.  Paul Jacobs, a program associate at Human Rights Watch and Sarah Kunstler, a Human Rights Watch intern, also provided research assistance. Paul Jacobs also prepared the report for publication.

Human Rights Watch is grateful to the Open Society Institute for its support of the U.S. Program that made this report possible.