CO Corrections Head: End Solitary

How's this for firsthand job experience? The new executive director of Colorado's Department of Corrections spent 20 hours in solitary confinement to experience what it's like for the state's 593 prisoners who are held in isolation. Calling the practice "counterproductive and inhumane" in a New York Times op-ed, Rick Raemish signaled that he would try to follow New York state's recent effort to reduce the practice. "When I finally left my cell at 3 p.m., I felt even more urgency for reform," he wrote. "If we can’t eliminate solitary confinement, at least we can strive to greatly reduce its use."