Will Potter: The secret US prisons you've never heard of before
威爾.波特: 你以前從未聽說過的隱密美國監獄
Award-winning journalist and author, Will Potter focuses on the animal rights and environmental movements, and civil liberties in the post-9/11 era. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
that "writing about prisoners
we treat prisoners as ghosts.
我們對待囚犯好比鬼魂一樣,
goes to great lengths to keep them hidden.
我們就更容易忽略他們了。
做了什麼事情的這些報導
when no one is watching,
that we need to tell.
prison units in the United States,
Communications Management Units or CMUs.
互動聯絡管理單位或叫 CMU,
"Little Guantanamo."
right here, at home,
它們存在於這裡、在我們的家門裡,
in Terre Haute, Indiana,
特雷霍特的監獄裡面,
in Marion, Illinois.
馬里昂的監獄裡面;
the formal review process
when they were opened.
been convicted of crimes.
and some involve threats and violence.
而有一些則涉及脅迫與暴力;
or innocence of any prisoner.
任何受刑人有罪或是冤枉,
Thurgood Marshall said,
瑟古德.馬歇爾曾說過:
their human quality."
has said there are three flecks of light
在監獄的沉黑裡
but they radically restrict all of these
偏激地侷限所有這些事項,
extreme prisons in the United States.
最極端之監獄的水準。
to 45 minutes a month,
1 個月是 45 分鐘,
other prisoners receive.
to six pieces of paper.
to four hours per month,
like Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph
艾瑞克.魯多夫
which means prisoners are not allowed
except psychologically."
除了心理上來說」。
who is imprisoned here.
open records requests
and former prisoners,
into the CMUs have opened.
60 to 70 prisoners here,
拉斐爾.達菲爾醫生,
on Iraq by sending medical supplies
from Saddam Hussein's Iraq as refugees.
充做難民逃往紐約,
as part of an FBI sting.
臥底行動的一部份,
to bear witness to a loan,
而他受邀見證一筆貸款,
involved in the loan was trying to enlist
提供物資協助給恐怖份子團體。
to a terrorist group.
some non-Muslim prisoners.
the racial numbers,
and environmental activists
環保運動人士,
of participating in two arsons
護守環境為名的縱火案,
that he would be sent
weren't supported by any facts.
hasn't fully explained
for these decisions.
talking about environmental activists.
FBI 再三用到的術語。
prisoners in US prisons
400 個囚犯在美國的監獄裡,
are in the CMUs.
at a low-security prison
一間低度戒備的監獄,
for an answer, a hearing,
一個解答、一場聽證會、
shows how those requests are viewed.
表明了那些申請如何被看待 -
recommended McGowan's transfer
反恐單位打了回票,
Counterterrorism Unit,
Task Force of the FBI.
任務部隊在合作。
was really sent to a CMU
不是因為他做過什麼,
cited McGowan's "anti-government beliefs."
引述了麥加文的反政府信念,
about environmental issues,
reflect on their mistakes
any time at all in Washington, DC,
華盛頓特區任何一些時間,
concept for the government.
這真的是激進的想法啊!
McGowan in the CMU.
CMU 裡探視麥加文,
on this stage before,
這個講台上討論過的,
monitoring my work.
and only journalist to visit a CMU.
以及唯一探訪過 CMU 的記者。
Counterterrorism Unit,
CMU 的言論 - 就像這一個,
about CMUs, like this one.
be approved to visit?
out to the prison, I got an answer.
我得到答案了。
as a friend, not a journalist.
去探視麥加文,
that if I asked any questions
如果我詢問了任何問題
for my reporting.
the guards reminded me
and knew about my work.
to interview McGowan,
訪問麥加文的話,
as "self-contained housing units."
「自我閉鎖的房舍單位」,
of describing black holes.
方法來形容黑洞;
checkpoints that you would expect.
to the visitation room is silent.
the rest of the prison is on lockdown.
其餘的囚犯就是被鎖起來了,
could touch each wall.
各面牆壁如此的小間,
orb in the ceiling
球狀體在天花板上,
by the Counterterrorism Unit
西維吉尼亞的反恐單位即時監看;
have to be in English for CMU prisoners,
所有的探視必須使用英文,
for many of the Muslim families.
是額外的難關。
bulletproof glass
attached to the wall
while in the CMU,
為了打破沉悶以及自娛,
that I was secretly the president
影迷會的不為人知的會長,
now thinks that Bella and Edward
貝拉還有艾德華是恐怖份子的代號!
and at length about his niece Lily,
最長的是他的姪女莉莉、他的老婆珍妮,
it feels to never be able to hug them,
was transferred out of the CMU
麥加文被轉出了 CMU,
he was sent back again.
CMU documents on my website
外流的 CMU 的公文資料,
that McGowan had called his wife
was saying about him,
at the end of his sentence,
for the Huffington Post headlined,
a CMU for my Political Speech."
我被送去了 CMU !」 。
back in jail for his political speech.
他被逮回監獄裡去,
by the Bush administration,
how and why CMUs were created.
為什麼被創造出來建立規章,
with "inspirational significance."
鼓舞型特別意義的囚犯,
these are political prisons
這些單位是用來關政治犯的政治監獄。
because of their race,
political beliefs.
characterization is too strong,
of the government's own documents.
by the CMU, the sender was told
被 CMU 拒收的時候,
蓄意要給政治犯的。
"for political prisoners."
activist Andy Stepanian,
安迪.史迪佩尼恩
anti-government and anti-corporate views.
反政府以及反企業觀點。
may be hard to believe,
and in the United States.
is that the US has a dark history
有著過度地處罰人民的黑暗歷史。
because of their political beliefs.
was home to the CMU,
是 CMU 的所在地前,
in solitary for 22 hours a day.
was to "control revolutionary attitudes."
具顛覆現狀的品行。
the Lexington High Security Unit
叫做萊辛頓高戒備單位,
to the Weather Underground,
independent struggles.
獨立奮進會」有牽連的成年女性,
communication and used sleep deprivation,
以及採用不讓你睡手段、
"ideological conversion."
不停歇的照亮。
but only through the campaigning
不過唯有透過宗教團體
advocates, like Amnesty International.
「國際特赦組織」的持續奔走。
with the Center for Constitutional Rights
of their due process rights
宗教性言論找他們算帳,
and religious speech.
never come to light without this lawsuit.
可能永遠不會曝光。
and my message for you today
to what is being done to these prisoners.
做過些什麼事情,
of the values held beyond prison walls.
to human rights.
repeating the mistakes of our past.
我們過往的錯誤有關。
described as the stories of the dead,
對前車之鑑的描述,
the stories of ourselves.
I learned about the Bill of Rights,
about 25 other laws and rights
25 種其他法律與權利,
the number one question I get
that people don't know.
of situations, any rights abuses,
侵犯權利的解套方法
that it's actually happening
to actually make a change.
來實際做出改變。
what's happening at all
正在發生些什麼事情,
disenfranchised populations
被剝奪權利的人口 -
not native English speakers.
representation that I mentioned,
我提到過他們有很棒的代言人,
of what's happening.
什麼事情正發生中。
that you have right to council
convicted of a crime,
was bogus or legitimate,
after that is warranted.
and dangerous narrative that we have,
造成傷害的、危險的描述,
of things to happen,
kind of turns a blind eye to it.
were all real documents, word for word,
都是真實的文件,
all of them to my website.
全部上傳到了我的網站 -
a footnoted version of the talk,
這場演講的是註解過版本,
without the little snippets.
這些公文並非片段,
on primary source documents
with former and current prisoners,
with this situation every day.
there myself, as well.
我也已經自己去過那邊了。
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Will Potter - Investigative journalistAward-winning journalist and author, Will Potter focuses on the animal rights and environmental movements, and civil liberties in the post-9/11 era.
Why you should listen
Independent journalist and TED Fellow Will Potter is based in Washington, D.C.; his current work examines how whistleblowers and non-violent protesters are being treated as terrorists.
The author of Green Is The New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege, Potter has extensively documented how non-violent protest is slowly being criminalized. His reporting and commentary have been featured in the world's top media outlets, including the Washington Post, NPR, Rolling Stone, El Pais, and Le Monde. He has testified before the U.S. Congress about his reporting, as the only witness opposing the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act -- and he is a plaintiff in the first lawsuits challenging so-called "ag-gag" laws as unconstitutional.
Will has also lectured at many universities and public forums about his work, including Georgetown University, Harvard Law School, and the House of Democracy and Human Rights in Berlin. International speaking tours have included Germany, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Spain, and he was the international guest lecturer for Australia's 2014 animal law lecture series.
His reporting has overturned criminal prosecutions, and it has both been praised in Congressional reports and monitored by the Counter-Terrorism Unit.
Will Potter | Speaker | TED.com