America’s Most Isolated Federal Prisoner Describes 10,220 Days in Extreme Solitary

Feuer Frei! · 05-25-11, 08:57 AM

Now this is about a week or 2 old, but still an interesting read:

Thomas Silverstein, who has been described as America's most isolated man, has been held in an extreme form of solitary confinement under a no human contact order for 28 years. Originally imprisoned for armed robbery at the age of 19, Silverstein is serving life without parole for killing two fellow inmates (whom he says were threatening his life) and a prison guard, and has been buried in the depths of the federal prison system since 1983.
In his current lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Silverstein contends that his decades of utter isolation in a small concrete cell violate the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment, as well as its guarantee of due process. (The lawsuit, brought by the University of Denver Civil Rights Clinic, is described in detail in our article Fortresses of Solitude. Update: On Friday, federal District Court Judge Philip Brimmer set a court date of January 23, 2012 for a jury trial in the Silverstein case.
In support of that lawsuit, Tommy Silverstein, now 59, has written a long declaration, the purpose of which is primarily to describe my experience during this lengthy period of solitary confinement: the nature and impact of the harsh conditions I have endured in spite of a spotless conduct record for over 22 years, and my lack of knowledge about what, if anything, I can do to lessen my isolation. After apologizing for the actions that brought me here in the first place, particularly the murder of corrections officer Merle Clutts, Silverstein contends that he has worked hard to become a different man. He continues, I understand that I deserve to be punished for my actions, and I do not expect ever to be released from prison. I just want to serve out the remainder of my time peacefully with other mature guys doing their time.
he bulk of the declaration is a detailed account of Silverstein's experiences and surrounding in a series of what constitute the most secure and isolated housing in the federal prison system: in the notorious Control Unit at Marion, the supermax prototype; at USP Atlanta in a windowless underground ;side pocket cell that measured 6 x 7 feet (almost exactly the size of a standard king mattress, at Leavenworth in an isolated basement cell dubbed the Silverstein Suite on Range 13 at ADX Florence, where the only other prisoner was Ramzi Yusef; and finally in ADX's D-Unit, where he can hear the sounds of other prisoners living in neighboring cells, though he still never sees them. The following is from Tommy Silverstein's description of his life at USP Atlanta:

The cell was so small that I could stand in one place and touch both walls simultaneously. The ceiling was so low that I could reach up and touch the hot light fixture.
My bed took up the length of the cell, and there was no other furniture at all-The walls were solid steel and painted all white.
I was permitted to wear underwear, but I was given no other clothing.
Shortly after I arrived, the prison staff began construction on the side pocket cell, adding more bars and other security measures to the cell while I was within it. In order not to be burned by sparks and embers while they welded more iron bars across the cell, I had to lie on my bed and cover myself with a sheet.
It is hard to describe the horror I experienced during this construction process. As they built new walls around me it felt like I was being buried alive. It was terrifying.
During my first year in the side pocket cell I was completely isolated from the outside world and had no way to occupy my time. I was not allowed to have any social visits, telephone privileges, or reading materials except a bible. I was not allowed to have a television, radio, or tape player. I could speak to no one and their was virtually nothing on which to focus my attention.
I was not only isolated, but also disoriented in the side pocket. This was exacerbated by the fact that I wasn't allowed to have a wristwatch or clock. In addition, the bright, artificial lights remained on in the cell constantly, increasing my disorientation and making it difficult to sleep. Not only were they constantly illuminated, but those lights buzzed incessantly. The buzzing noise was maddening, as there often were no other sounds at all. This may sound like a small thing, but it was my entire world.
Due to the unchanging bright artificial lights and not having a wristwatch or clock, I couldn't tell if it was day or night. Frequently, I would fall asleep and when I woke up I would not know if I had slept for five minutes or five hours, and would have no idea of what day or time of day it was.
I tried to measure the passing of days by counting food trays. Without being able to keep track of time, though, sometimes I thought the officers had left me and were never coming back. I thought they were gone for days, and I was going to starve. It's likely they were only gone for a few hours, but I had no way to know.
I was so disoriented in Atlanta that I felt like I was in an episode of the twilight zone. I now know that I was housed there for about four years, but I would have believed it was a decade if that is what I was told. It seemed eternal and endless and immeasurable
There was no air conditioning or heating in the side pocket cells. During the summer, the heat was unbearable. I would pour water on the ground and lay naked on the floor in an attempt to cool myself
The only time I was let out of my cell was for outdoor recreation. I was allowed one hour a week of outdoor recreation. I could not see any other inmates or any of the surrounding landscape during outdoor recreation. There was no exercise equipment and nothing to do
My vision deteriorated in the side pocket, I think due to the constant bright lights, or possibly also because of other aspects of this harsh environment. Everything began to appear blurry and I became sensitive to light, which burned my eyes and gave me headaches.
Nearly all of the time, the officers refused to speak to me. Despite this, I heard people who I believed to be officers whispering into my vents, telling me they hated me and calling me names. To this day, I am not sure if the officers were doing this to me, or if I was starting to lose it and these were hallucinations.
In the side pocket cell, I lost some ability to distinguished what was real. I dreamt I was in prison. When I woke up, I was not sure which was reality and which was a dream.

SOURCE

Life in Solitary.

August · 05-25-11, 09:17 AM

Should have thought about that before he killed those people. No sympathy for him.

05-25-11, 11:49 AM

Does this man deserve a life in prison for murder, yes. But a life in solitary is beond my understanding. The only reason I cannot agree with hanging is, I could not do it myself and therefor would be unable to ask someone else to do something I would not do. It is one thing to kill someone while in a rage, but to calmly pull the handle that springs the trap door, not me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pierrepoint

Interesting facts about a UK hangman.. sid

Chad · 05-25-11, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

Should have thought about that before he killed those people. No sympathy for him.

Bit harsh but I agree. I'm sure it made him more than insane, but if he seems to be doing well with his writing or story telling, whatever it is. I'd figure he'd be rocking back and forth against a wall, with his arms crossed against his chest after that long of a time.

Skybird · 05-25-11, 12:15 PM

Right, August. Why even wasting a cell on him? Put him into a coffin-box, with flexible tubes in his stomach and lunges, and two more between his legs and bottom cheeks.

Cruelty is part of justice, right?

August · 05-25-11, 02:20 PM

So you guys think i'm being harsh? Then what punishment for the three murders he committed in prison do you think is appropriate?

The man is in solitary because he has demonstrated, three times, that he is a danger to his fellow prisoners as well as the guards. If they let him back into the general population and he kills again are you willing to take responsibility for it?

Skybird · 05-25-11, 04:10 PM

If you read carefully you see that he was not even allowed to have TV, reading materials, or anything. In his words, he was left with no way to occupy his time, while he got buried alive, as he describes the process of building the isolation cell around him. He was being made disoriented and subject of what as a psychologist I need to classify as sensory deprivation. He gave indication that the officers took personal revenge upon him. He had one hour per week of "recreation", being left in a place where to see nothing and where to do nothing.

Nothing of that is just, or a prevention of him turning aggressive again, or protecting other inmates, and having him living in the open civil society again where he poses a threat to others is something that nobody has mentioned but you. What is described in that article is: taking revenge by torturing him. You could as well chain him to a wall and fixiate him there, like they did with insane people in past centuries.

I see little, if any, difference in the wickedness of treating prisoners like this, and the crimes this prisoner has committed. There are worse things than dying, and the biblical logic of "an eye for an eye" is nothing I see as a basis for "justice" or "communal protectiun".

On war efforts, in past threads I said determination is enough, we must not seek to be cruel beyond military need. But the same is true for law enforcement. Be determined in protecting the community, okay. Cruelty is something different.

I refuse to discuss this any longer, August. Either you have what it takes to understand this from a human point of view, or you have not. To brutalise your own soul is something that serves nothing and nobody, it acchieves no justice and protects nobody.

August · 05-25-11, 04:45 PM

Tell it to the family of the guard he murdered.

Skybird · 05-25-11, 05:00 PM

Okay, by that famous last words you can argue to throw every criminal having harmed other people or having killed somebody, into sensory deprivation and lifelong isolation.

I have and my family has lost loved ones to idiots behaving like azzes - and despite my grumble with the courts and the lax laws and my rage for the offenders responsible, I do not feel any desire to make the offenders subjects of measures like in this case.

And if you argue that it is an eye for an eye and cruel punishement for all times and death would not be good enough - you often have taken side with Christian dogmas and beliefs in various threads, defending Christian religion in general. Now consider what Jesus said about forgivenes, and try to imagine if what you feel and say would be in conformity with what he has told people.

Is your position on this issue really that Christian at all?

Determination is enough, and fully sufficient. Cruelty beyond that is not needed.

Platapus · 05-25-11, 05:06 PM

I do believe this prisoner needs to be kept in isolation/segregation. But the conditions he describes, assuming he is not lying, do seem a bit extreme.

August · 05-25-11, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Okay, by that famous last words

Now if you only would follow your own advice.

Quote:

I refuse to discuss this any longer, August.

Seth8530 · 05-25-11, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

Should have thought about that before he killed those people. No sympathy for him.

August, if for no other reason.. think about the US Constitution.. It protects Us from cruel and unusual punishment.. We can not turn our backs on such basic principles as that. Personality i wouldnt be against having him executed.. but this is just wrong....

August · 05-25-11, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth8530

August, if for no other reason.. think about the US Constitution.. It protects Us from cruel and unusual punishment.. We can not turn our backs on such basic principles as that. Personality i wouldnt be against having him executed.. but this is just wrong....

You are assuming the situation is as he claims it is. He'll get his hearing in front of a judge but innocent until proven guilty does not apply here.

Seth8530 · 05-25-11, 09:15 PM

well, it should be a simple matter to check shouldnt it be?

August · 05-25-11, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth8530

well, it should be a simple matter to check shouldnt it be?

Check what? That he hears voices? That he was sentenced to solitary confinement for three murders that he committed while already in prison for armed robbery?

The bottom line here is that the mans own heinous actions have put him in this situation. Now he's trying to whine his way out of it and maybe get a chance to kill more people. I say no way.

05-25-11, 08:57 AM	#1
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	America’s Most Isolated Federal Prisoner Describes 10,220 Days in Extreme Solitary Now this is about a week or 2 old, but still an interesting read: Thomas Silverstein, who has been described as America's most isolated man, has been held in an extreme form of solitary confinement under a no human contact order for 28 years. Originally imprisoned for armed robbery at the age of 19, Silverstein is serving life without parole for killing two fellow inmates (whom he says were threatening his life) and a prison guard, and has been buried in the depths of the federal prison system since 1983. In his current lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Silverstein contends that his decades of utter isolation in a small concrete cell violate the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment, as well as its guarantee of due process. (The lawsuit, brought by the University of Denver Civil Rights Clinic, is described in detail in our article Fortresses of Solitude. Update: On Friday, federal District Court Judge Philip Brimmer set a court date of January 23, 2012 for a jury trial in the Silverstein case. In support of that lawsuit, Tommy Silverstein, now 59, has written a long declaration, the purpose of which is primarily to describe my experience during this lengthy period of solitary confinement: the nature and impact of the harsh conditions I have endured in spite of a spotless conduct record for over 22 years, and my lack of knowledge about what, if anything, I can do to lessen my isolation. After apologizing for the actions that brought me here in the first place, particularly the murder of corrections officer Merle Clutts, Silverstein contends that he has worked hard to become a different man. He continues, I understand that I deserve to be punished for my actions, and I do not expect ever to be released from prison. I just want to serve out the remainder of my time peacefully with other mature guys doing their time. he bulk of the declaration is a detailed account of Silverstein's experiences and surrounding in a series of what constitute the most secure and isolated housing in the federal prison system: in the notorious Control Unit at Marion, the supermax prototype; at USP Atlanta in a windowless underground ;side pocket cell that measured 6 x 7 feet (almost exactly the size of a standard king mattress, at Leavenworth in an isolated basement cell dubbed the Silverstein Suite on Range 13 at ADX Florence, where the only other prisoner was Ramzi Yusef; and finally in ADX's D-Unit, where he can hear the sounds of other prisoners living in neighboring cells, though he still never sees them. The following is from Tommy Silverstein's description of his life at USP Atlanta: The cell was so small that I could stand in one place and touch both walls simultaneously. The ceiling was so low that I could reach up and touch the hot light fixture. My bed took up the length of the cell, and there was no other furniture at all-The walls were solid steel and painted all white. I was permitted to wear underwear, but I was given no other clothing. Shortly after I arrived, the prison staff began construction on the side pocket cell, adding more bars and other security measures to the cell while I was within it. In order not to be burned by sparks and embers while they welded more iron bars across the cell, I had to lie on my bed and cover myself with a sheet. It is hard to describe the horror I experienced during this construction process. As they built new walls around me it felt like I was being buried alive. It was terrifying. During my first year in the side pocket cell I was completely isolated from the outside world and had no way to occupy my time. I was not allowed to have any social visits, telephone privileges, or reading materials except a bible. I was not allowed to have a television, radio, or tape player. I could speak to no one and their was virtually nothing on which to focus my attention. I was not only isolated, but also disoriented in the side pocket. This was exacerbated by the fact that I wasn't allowed to have a wristwatch or clock. In addition, the bright, artificial lights remained on in the cell constantly, increasing my disorientation and making it difficult to sleep. Not only were they constantly illuminated, but those lights buzzed incessantly. The buzzing noise was maddening, as there often were no other sounds at all. This may sound like a small thing, but it was my entire world. Due to the unchanging bright artificial lights and not having a wristwatch or clock, I couldn't tell if it was day or night. Frequently, I would fall asleep and when I woke up I would not know if I had slept for five minutes or five hours, and would have no idea of what day or time of day it was. I tried to measure the passing of days by counting food trays. Without being able to keep track of time, though, sometimes I thought the officers had left me and were never coming back. I thought they were gone for days, and I was going to starve. It's likely they were only gone for a few hours, but I had no way to know. I was so disoriented in Atlanta that I felt like I was in an episode of the twilight zone. I now know that I was housed there for about four years, but I would have believed it was a decade if that is what I was told. It seemed eternal and endless and immeasurable There was no air conditioning or heating in the side pocket cells. During the summer, the heat was unbearable. I would pour water on the ground and lay naked on the floor in an attempt to cool myself The only time I was let out of my cell was for outdoor recreation. I was allowed one hour a week of outdoor recreation. I could not see any other inmates or any of the surrounding landscape during outdoor recreation. There was no exercise equipment and nothing to do My vision deteriorated in the side pocket, I think due to the constant bright lights, or possibly also because of other aspects of this harsh environment. Everything began to appear blurry and I became sensitive to light, which burned my eyes and gave me headaches. Nearly all of the time, the officers refused to speak to me. Despite this, I heard people who I believed to be officers whispering into my vents, telling me they hated me and calling me names. To this day, I am not sure if the officers were doing this to me, or if I was starting to lose it and these were hallucinations. In the side pocket cell, I lost some ability to distinguished what was real. I dreamt I was in prison. When I woke up, I was not sure which was reality and which was a dream. SOURCE Life in Solitary. __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS

05-25-11, 09:17 AM	#2
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,197 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Should have thought about that before he killed those people. No sympathy for him. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

05-25-11, 12:15 PM	#5
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,615 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Right, August. Why even wasting a cell on him? Put him into a coffin-box, with flexible tubes in his stomach and lunges, and two more between his legs and bottom cheeks. Cruelty is part of justice, right? __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-25-11, 02:20 PM	#6
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,197 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	So you guys think i'm being harsh? Then what punishment for the three murders he committed in prison do you think is appropriate? The man is in solitary because he has demonstrated, three times, that he is a danger to his fellow prisoners as well as the guards. If they let him back into the general population and he kills again are you willing to take responsibility for it? __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

05-25-11, 04:10 PM	#7
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,615 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	If you read carefully you see that he was not even allowed to have TV, reading materials, or anything. In his words, he was left with no way to occupy his time, while he got buried alive, as he describes the process of building the isolation cell around him. He was being made disoriented and subject of what as a psychologist I need to classify as sensory deprivation. He gave indication that the officers took personal revenge upon him. He had one hour per week of "recreation", being left in a place where to see nothing and where to do nothing. Nothing of that is just, or a prevention of him turning aggressive again, or protecting other inmates, and having him living in the open civil society again where he poses a threat to others is something that nobody has mentioned but you. What is described in that article is: taking revenge by torturing him. You could as well chain him to a wall and fixiate him there, like they did with insane people in past centuries. I see little, if any, difference in the wickedness of treating prisoners like this, and the crimes this prisoner has committed. There are worse things than dying, and the biblical logic of "an eye for an eye" is nothing I see as a basis for "justice" or "communal protectiun". On war efforts, in past threads I said determination is enough, we must not seek to be cruel beyond military need. But the same is true for law enforcement. Be determined in protecting the community, okay. Cruelty is something different. I refuse to discuss this any longer, August. Either you have what it takes to understand this from a human point of view, or you have not. To brutalise your own soul is something that serves nothing and nobody, it acchieves no justice and protects nobody. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-25-11, 11:49 AM	#3
sidslotm Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Does this man deserve a life in prison for murder, yes. But a life in solitary is beond my understanding. The only reason I cannot agree with hanging is, I could not do it myself and therefor would be unable to ask someone else to do something I would not do. It is one thing to kill someone while in a rage, but to calmly pull the handle that springs the trap door, not me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pierrepoint Interesting facts about a UK hangman.. sid

05-25-11, 04:45 PM	#8
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,197 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Tell it to the family of the guard he murdered. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

05-25-11, 05:00 PM	#9
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,615 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Okay, by that famous last words you can argue to throw every criminal having harmed other people or having killed somebody, into sensory deprivation and lifelong isolation. I have and my family has lost loved ones to idiots behaving like azzes - and despite my grumble with the courts and the lax laws and my rage for the offenders responsible, I do not feel any desire to make the offenders subjects of measures like in this case. And if you argue that it is an eye for an eye and cruel punishement for all times and death would not be good enough - you often have taken side with Christian dogmas and beliefs in various threads, defending Christian religion in general. Now consider what Jesus said about forgivenes, and try to imagine if what you feel and say would be in conformity with what he has told people. Is your position on this issue really that Christian at all? Determination is enough, and fully sufficient. Cruelty beyond that is not needed. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-25-11, 05:06 PM	#10
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,362 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	I do believe this prisoner needs to be kept in isolation/segregation. But the conditions he describes, assuming he is not lying, do seem a bit extreme. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

05-25-11, 09:15 PM	#14
Seth8530 Captain Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 546 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	well, it should be a simple matter to check shouldnt it be? __________________