Documenting Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment by US Officials
The United States government fails to prevent U.S. officials from engaging in acts of torture. The advocacy community relies on non-governmental organizations' documentation of U.S. involvement in torture to support victims and and influence U.S. policy. Read the below reports to learn about U.S. involvement in torture.
National Criminal Justice Commission Act
The National Criminal Justice Commission Act will create a Commission to undertake an 18-month top to bottom review of the United States Criminal Justice System. It will issue wide ranging, concrete reforms to address the most pressing issues in the Criminal Justice System. It is believed that the Commission will provide improved oversight and transparency in the treatment of detainees, a measure that is called for in the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT).
Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture
The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights is engaged in a campaign pressuring the United States to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). A U.S. commitment to OPCAT could provide protection to detained individuals in the following ways:
Torture in International Human Rights Law
The United Nations Convention Against Torture defines torture as "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or ot
Torture in U.S Law
The United States Code defines torture as an "act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control". Torture is expressed as illegal in both the U.S. Bill of Rights and the United States Code.
UN Committee Against Torture Shadow Reporting
The below is a list of resources that may be of use to civil society organizations interested in submitting shadow reports to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) with regards to the United States' obligations under the International Convention Against Torture:
Understanding Torture and Its Impact
Advocates support the argument against torture with reports gained from extensive research and experience. To better understand the implications of physical torture, pychological torture, and cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment, view the below resources.
