Controversial Videos of Mentally Ill Inmates Being Pepper-Sprayed Filed in Federal Court
On Thursday, six videos showing prison guards pepper-spraying and then subduing inmates with mental illnesses were filed in federal court. Attorneys for inmates say the videos show that prisoners with mental illness are being treated with excessive force, while state officials argue that the guards followed proper procedure in the taped incidents and that the use of force is "always a last resort."
- "California Releases Controversial Prison Videos" (Stanton/Walsh, Sacramento Bee, 11/1).
- "Tapes Show Inmates Forced From Cells by Guards Using Pepper Spray" (St. John, "PolitiCal," Los Angeles Times, 10/31).