• Excessive Punishments and Restrictions

    We oppose the death penalty in all cases as inherently cruel. We also work to change criminal sentences that are disproportionately severe relative to the crime and the culpability of the individual offender, including the sentencing of juvenile offenders to life without the possibility of parole and long sentences set by mandatory sentencing laws for low level drug offenses. These sentences violate human rights laws binding on the United States that prohibit cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and require that juvenile offenders be treated in accordance with their age and capacity for rehabilitation. We also oppose the imposition of arbitrary and disproportionate restrictions in lieu of, or in addition to, criminal punishment, such as restrictions on access to public housing, the right to vote, or choice of residence.

  • The execution chamber of the US Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
    © 1997 Reuters
    US: Momentum Against the Death Penalty
    Connecticut is poised to become the fifth US state in five years to abolish capital punishment, a clear sign that the momentum against the death penalty is gaining force.
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Excessive Punishment and Restrictions

  • US: Momentum Against the Death Penalty
    Apr 12, 2012
    Connecticut is poised to become the fifth US state in five years to abolish capital punishment, a clear sign that the momentum against the death penalty is gaining force.
  • US Supreme Court: Take Into Account Prison Hardships for Youth
    Mar 29, 2012
    The US Supreme Court, in its deliberations on the cases Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, should consider the harsh conditions juvenile offenders face in adult prisons. On March 20, 2012, the US Supreme Court held oral arguments in the cases, which question the constitutionality of sentencing youth below the age of 18 to life without parole.
  • Assisted Living — Behind Bars
    Mar 26, 2012
    If elderly prisoners can be safely released from prison to finish the rest of their lives under parole supervision — at much lower cost to taxpayers — it is hard to see what society gains from keeping them behind bars.
  • The Human Rights Paradigm: The Foundation for a Criminal Justice System We Can Be Proud Of
    Mar 21, 2012
    Human rights are unmatched as guideposts toward a truly just criminal justice system. Advocates can look to them for a dignity-affirming template for progress.
  • Illinois: Proposed Closure of Tamms Supermax a Step in the Right Direction
    Mar 8, 2012
    Human Rights Watch wrote to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to express support for his proposal to close the Tamms Correctional Center. We also sent similar letters to Illinois state legislators on the relevant appropriations committees and the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
  • Montana: Commute the Death Sentence of Ronald Smith
    Mar 8, 2012
    Human Rights Watch wrote to Montana's governor and Board of Pardons and Parole, urging them to commute the sentence of Ronald Smith, a Canadian Citizen on death row in Montana.
  • California: Over 300 Youth Face Life Without Parole
    Feb 29, 2012
    Approximately 300 youth offenders have been sentenced to die in California’s prisons for crimes committed when they were teenagers, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The United States is the only country in the world where people who were under age 18 at the time of their crime serve sentences of life without parole. Nationally, more than 2,500 youth offenders are serving these sentences.
  • Alabama: Prevent Execution of Thomas Arthur
    Feb 28, 2012
    Human Rights Watch urges Governor Robert Bentley to prevent the execution of Thomas Arthur. Alabama simply should not tolerate the risk that one of its citizens will be executed for a crime he or she did not commit.
  • Give child offenders chance at rehabilitation
    Feb 2, 2012
    Virginia should not move in the direction of treating child sex offenders the same as adult offenders. Instead, the state should stand by its commitment to offer young offenders a chance at rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
  • US: Number of Aging Prisoners Soaring
    Jan 27, 2012
    Aging men and women are the most rapidly growing group in US prisons, and prison officials are hard-pressed to provide them appropriate housing and medical care. Because of their higher rates of illness and impairments, older prisoners incur medical costs that are three to nine times as high as those for younger prisoners.
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