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Language in prison: Solitary linguistic confinement

The Economist, April 16th

ANY fan of cops-crooks-and-courtrooms dramas knows that solitary confinement is a treat reserved for highly volatile criminals, or used to punish inmates for various misdeeds. In 2011, after determining that more than 15 days without human contact can have serious effects on a prisoner's mental health, a special rapporteur for the United Nations' Human Rights Council officially recognised prisoner isolation as a form of torture. But what about isolation by language? Read more...