Ethics

Cheney, Gonzalez Indicted for Prisoner Abuse

By Ed Brayton

But not at military prisons or installations, but rather at private prisons in the United States:

A South Texas grand jury has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County's federal detention centers.

The indictment criticizes Cheney's investment in the Vanguard Group, which holds interests in the private prison companies running the federal detention centers. It accuses Cheney of a conflict of interest and "at least misdemeanor assaults" on detainees by working through the prison companies.

Gonzales is accused of using his position while in office to stop an investigation into abuses at the federal detention centers.

This should be very interesting to watch. As my Michigan Messenger colleague Eartha Melzer reported last week, a private prison company in Michigan was charged with murder.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on November 19, 2008 (boomark / email).