Transcript

Thank you, Michael, so I will, I do want to switch gear a little bit, because I am a neuroscientist. I know the room is full of neuroscientists, so I am, although not everybody is. But so my intent is not so much to teach you specific neuroscience facts, but more how to bring together a set of arguments that are of relevance specifically towards solitary confinement, and I'll tell you why in a minute. But I want to start by acknowledging that my whole interest in this area started with an invitation from Michael Zigman, who told me he was putting together a similar symposium at triple A s and he said, we want to talk.

We want a scientific talk on solitary confinement. And I said, I don't know anything about that. I don't I work with humans with depression, but that's not the same thing. I work with stress on animals. I'm not aware of any direct studies on this. And anyhow, why do we need neuroscience? Why isn't that just humanity, morality? Why is neuroscience relevant? Well, Michael can be very persuasive. I won't tell you all that went into it, but basically he talked me into it.