U.S. District Court Judge Shelton E. Henderson ruled Monday in favor of force-feeding California prisoners on hunger-strike.
Reuters reports that nearly 140 prisoners are still participating in the hunger strike which began seven weeks ago to protest the practice of solitary confinement. The practice is meant to curb the presence of prison gangs by isolating gang leaders and violent inmates, but many regard the practice as inhumane.
Prior to Henderson’s ruling, prison policy was to let inmates starve to death if they signed orders not to be resuscitated, but concerns arose that inmates were either not well enough to express wishes to be resuscitated or were coerced into signing DNR orders by their lawyers.
The Washington Post quotes the president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, Jules Lobel, “Force-feeding violates international law to the extent that it involves somebody who doesn’t give their consent.”
No inmates were fed on Monday due to the ruling.