A Philadelphia murderer is out of solitary confinement for the first time in 37 years, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Arthur Johnson, 64, was sentenced to life in prison for a 1970 gang killing. He was placed in solitary confinement in 1979 after multiple escape attempts. In September, Johnson sued the state of Pennsylvania, claiming cruel and unusual punishment in violation of his constitutional rights. His lawyer argued that Johnson hadn't had a disciplinary problem in a quarter of a century and that the mere possibility of an escape attempt isn't justification enough for indefinite solitary confinement.
A federal judge agreed, saying Johnson was subjected to "institutional exile" in an "area smaller than the average horse stall." Johnson returned to the general population at SCI Greene state prison last Friday. The Christian Science Monitor reports solitary confinement can increase the risk of suicide and the likelihood of recidivism. Johnson says nearly four decades in a 7-foot-by-12-foot cell left him with depression, anxiety, loss of short-term memory, insomnia, and more. (More solitary confinement stories.)
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