Abu Ghraib in the homeland

Berrell Freeman, who is serving a 58-year prison sentence for attempted homicide is not exactly a nice guy and he doesn't like to follow rules. He ended up in the facility designed to house what they call the "worst of the worst" offenders, Boscobel prison in Wisconsin. The prison is reportedly a real hell hole.

Inmates at the Boscobel prison were initially confined to solitary cells for up to 23 hours a day. A lack of recreational facilities, constantly illuminated cells and overheated cells prompted inmates to bring a class action inmate lawsuit in which U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ordered the state to air-condition the prison.

Freeman who broke such 'serious' rules as wearing shorts instead of the required trousers and sometimes wore a headband to soak up the sweat, was punished by having food withheld from him for days at a time.

Freeman lost about 40 of his 180 pounds between April 23 and Oct. 12, 2003. During one month, he was served only breakfast.

Freeman filed suit, and the prison started feeding him again, but it was too little too late.

Jurors found that withholding food as punishment subjected Freeman to a serious disruption of a basic human need. Warden Gerald Berge, Deputy Warden Peter Huibregtse and Unit Manager Brad Hompe were the defendants found to be liable for deliberate indifference to an inhumane condition of confinement. Jurors awarded $50,000 in compensatory damages and $1.2 million in punitive damages.

Freeman may be a violent criminal but he's a still a human being. No one should be subjected to this kind of punishment. Sarah Walkenhurst, Freeman's lead attorney agrees and "will seek an injunction to prohibit the state prison system from withholding food to punish prisoners." Indeed. Isn't being locked up and being subjected to the whims of sadistic prison guards punishment enough? Our prisons shouldn't be administering slow motion death sentences by denying prisoners a basic necessity of life.