toni tonight on "nightline," send him back alone? that's what one american mother did to her 7-year-old adopted son, halfway around the world. tonight, the inside story of adoptions gone horribly wrong. plus, solitary, locked in an eight foot by ten foot cell 23 hours a day. dangerous inmates accompanied by only their criminal minds. it's the dark world of solitary confinement. and, battle line. justice john paul stevens, one of the security's leading liberals said today he's stepping down, and already the buzz begins. who will the president's nominee be, and how hard will the republicans fight? >> announcer: from the global

resources of abc news, with terry moran, martin bashir and cynthia mcfadden in new york city, this is "nightline," april 9th, 2010. >> good evening, i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin tonight with a shocking story about mother and child. it involves a tennessee woman, torry hansen, who says she was unable to control the son she adopted from russia six months ago, calling him, quote, mentally instable. so, what did she do? she had her mother put the boy on a plane back to russia, by himself. she's now under criminal investigation, and there may be major repercussions. outraged russian officials have threatened to freeze adoptions to the united states. there were 1,600 last year. as juju chang report reports. >> reporter: 7-year-old artyem flew on a united airlines flight from washington, d.c. to moscow. he arrived with no parents, no

guardians. just a note in english from his adoptive single mother, torry hansen of tennessee. this child is mentally unstable, it reads. he is violent and has severe psychopathic issues. i was misled by the russian orphanage regarding his mental stability. after giving my best to this child, i am returning him to your guardianship. shortly after artyem was taken to the hospital for observation. he told russian officials his american mother pulled his ahai and was abusive. back in the u.s., the state department asked a local tennessee sheriff to investigation so far, no charges have been filed. >> well, i -- i'm not sure that sending this child off was a good idea. maybe there's something there to be looked at. >> reporter: outraged russian foreign minister sure gave lavrov referred to it as the last straw and demanded that all

adoptions by u.s. families be frozen. over the past few years, the practice of american families adopting russian orphans has been controversial. that than y'all craver died from dramatic brain injuries. later this month, his parents, who adopted him from russia, will go to court facing homicide charges. while only a small minority of these cases end in death, many are riddled with pain, anger and violence. >> what we were told prior to the adoption was that they came from a loving family. >> reporter: one mom, who is all too familiar with the struggle, is tania mulligan. she and her husband mike have traveled to russia multiple times, where they first adopted, by all appearances, two loving sisters, margarita and elena. >> elena is a beautiful young lady, very vibrant. i guess if i had to sum her up in one word, it would be eager. >> reporter: margarita, or rita,

is a study in contrast. less than a week after coming to the united states, this home video shows a girl lost in her new home. >> no, no, no. >> she started having a meltdown and crying, and we couldn't figure out why. she was running around the house and wailing. >> reporter: he bewildered parents decide to videotape her behavior, thinking no one would believe how chaotic their lives had become. looking back, what do you think was going on? >> she was having a meltdown, as we like to call it. come on, stand up. certainly anxiety attack. >> reporter: over the years, you caught her stealing, cheating, lying -- >> yes. >> reporter: this was pretty severe. >> yes. she had a lot of trouble bonding. >> reporter: not just with you, with others. >> with everybody. >> reporter: despite their struggles, tania and mike adopted again. they picked this little boy, sasha, who they later renamed

slater. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: but over time, the mulligans learned that slater is a walking list of psychological and emotional problems. >> slater, come here. ow! what is your problem? >> reporter: as this video shows, slater is a little boy who flies into fits of anger and has trouble communicating. >> look at me. >> reporter: what has he been diagnosed with? >> reactive attachment disorder, pica, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, low i.q. he has tourettes, dyslexia, and he's got some pre-schizophrenia and depression. >> what's your problem? >> elena is -- >> reporter: the mulligans learned that slater and rita have been displaying fetal alcohol exposure, and extreme behavioral problems. many kids neglected in foreign

orphanages have trouble bonding and act out. peggy sue hilt says she had never heard of r.a.d. when she adopted two girls from russia in 2006, but soon, she says, her younger daughter nina became withdrawn, and things began to unravel. >> she would bang her head on the wall, she would pull her hair out if something frustrated her. >> reporter: hilt admits she had ten beers the day she snapped, when she claims nina tried to attack her older sister. >> nina picked up fork and wents to natalia with it, and that's -- i saw red. >> reporter: so, do you remember what happened after that? >> i grabbed her, carrying her like a football. she was kicking and screaming and flailing. i snapped. i mean, i just -- i don't -- i was in a rage. >> reporter: you hurt her. >> i didn't mean to hurt her. and then i kicked her with the side of my foot and told her to

get up. and -- then i put her up in her bed and struck her repeatedly. >> reporter: two days later, little nina died. i interviewed hilt inside a maximum security prison for "20/20" back in 2008, where she's serving 17 years in prison for nina's death. >> i don't ever want another woman to walk in this place behind me in my shoes. i was told that i did not need help, i did not need counseling, i needed to cry harder. >> reporter: the mulligans turned to this woman, founder of the montana ranch for kids, which serves as a last resort for importants who can no longer handle their foreign-born adop deeps. >> how many of you are from russia? >> reporter: some of the parents joyce meets are even considering giving up their children. it's called disruption. what are i trying to teach? >> of course, how important family is. your connections with people.

>> one, two, three! >> reporter: abc news flew the mulligans to the ranch for kids, where they spent a week roughing it. margarita seems relaxed and happy, while slater can't get enough of the horses. on the way to pick them up, their parents don't know what to expect. they're a bit nervous. >> how are you? >> good. >> reporter: it's a real hug. a peace offering that tania has waited four years to enjoy. the mulligans are afraid to put too much stock in one moment, but it's encouraging. >> are you ready to go with your mom? >> yes. i'm ready to go home for good. >> reporter: the mulligans are not ready to give up, but for those who do, joyce feels empathy. anybody who is unfamiliar with adoption in general would say, well, how dare you adopt a child and then try to bring it back like some sort of broken toy. aren't these parents monsters? >> well, i don't think they are.

i think they're just hurt people that are afraid for their lives. >> reporter: we don't know yet about the psychology of 7-year-old artyem, flown to moscow yesterday all alone. but joyce told me this evening, the situation may be more complicated than it appears. >> i knew that the mother would be demonized and be painted as a very bad person and the child as this poor innocent little child. neither one of those assumptions are true. both are victims. >> reporter: today, president medvedev spoke about artyem with our george stephanopoulos. >> translator: it's monstrous on the part of his adoptive parents, to take the kid and virtually throw him out. >> reporter: while the future of russian adoptions in the u.s. remains unclear, the future of this little 7-year-old boy hangs in the balance. juju chang, abc news, "nightline." >> heartbreaking. torry hansen is under investigation for what may be criminal child abandonment. so far, she's declined to talk

to authorities. when we come back, crime and punishment, and what life can be like for those who live in solitary confinement. ♪ let's take a look at the stats. mini has more than double the fiber and whole grain... making him a great contender in this bout... against mid-morning hunger. honey nut cheerios is coming in a little short. you've got more whole grain in your little finger! let's get ready for breakfaaaaaaaaaast! ( ding, cheering, ringing ) keeping you full and focused with more than double the fiber and whole grain... in every tasty bite -- frrrrrrosted mini-wheeeeats! didn't know i had it in me.

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about all the discounts boswe're offering. i've got. i some catchphrases that'llideas make these savings even more memorable. gecko: all right... gecko: good driver discounts. w that's the stuff...? boss: how 'bout this? gecko: ...they're the bee's knees? boss: or this? gecko: sir, how 'bout just "fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance." boss: ha, yeah, good luck with that catching on! anncr: geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. we turn now to crime and punishment, and one of the oldest techniques used by prisons across the country. solitary confinement. often the result of an inmate misbehaving while incarcerated. there are more than 8 0,000 prisoners currently serving time

in a cell by themselves 23 hours a day. and the affect? sharyn alfonsi reports. >> reporter: colorado state penitentiary, csp. it's a maximum security prison. everyone is kept in solitary confinement, often for years at a time. >> there's three things that happen to people here. one is they learn to put on blinders. >> reporter: larry is serving a seven-year prison sentence for identity theft. >> the two that matter matter. they try to fight a battle they can't win. >> reporter: just a fuhr hours ago, he and an inmate attacked two guards. >> they go crazy. >> reporter: earning him what will be his second stint in solitary confinement. how much time he spends in solitary will depend largely on his future behavior.

>> coming back in here, i'm wondering how long it's going to take me to get back out. wondering if they'll let me out this time. >> reporter: many u.s. prison officials argue that isolating disruptive inmates reduces violence in the general prison population and is the most effective way to handle disciplinary problems. in sol dare, every detail is carefully designed to minimize social interaction. peoples are brought to inmates through slots in their cell doors. and physical contact occurs only when they're moved from cell to cell. apart from 15 minutes in a competer controlled shower, and an hour exercising along, larry will spend 23 hours a day locked in an eight by ten foot cell. >> you know no matter what it takes at least 18 months to get out of here. last time it took me five years. >> reporter: while larry's time here is just beginning, another inmate will be released to the streets in just a few days.

>> you have these thoughts of, like, what if i fail? should i even get out? >> reporter: gonzalez is serving time for car theft and parole violations. deemed an escape risk with a history of disciplinary problems, he was sent to csp for five years. >> think about if you were stranded, like, in "cast away." that dude was talking to a volleyball. that's kind of how you start to become in here if you're in here too long. >> reporter: the average stay at csp is two years, but a third of the inmates have been here longer. and many complain of physical and psychological affects. >> your mind is always going constantly in here. it just seems like you can't shut it off. sometimes i just feel like i might crack under that kind of pressure. because man wasn't made for this. >> reporter: while the supreme

court has never addressed the constitution naality of solitar confinement, lower courts have acknowledged its potentially harmful affects, and some psychiatrists can say it can be devastating. >> difficulties with thinking, concentration, memory, disor yenation. it's basically a dill leer yum. one of the things we find in solitary confinement is that people become very paranoid. >> reporter: susan jones, a warden at penitentiary, defends the use of solitary to discipline violent inmates. >> we aren't cutting them much because it's fun or because we like being cruel. we're cutting them off until we can assure that contact is going to be safe. we really believe in what we're doing here. we believe in the ability to modify behavior and to change individuals to make them more productive and more safe. >> reporter: but inmates have a different take. >> i see more people become

worse in this place than people that become better. try to deal with being hand handcuffed like an animal every day, and you just bite your tongue. you go out from one box to another box. i think 90% of the people that are locked up here, if they ran into a staff member on the streets, they would hurt them. it's hate that's been building up in you. i want to physically get into it with somebody. >> reporter: as he prepares to leave prison -- >> those are the things i want to get away from, but i deal with them all the time. >> reporter: -- he worries what it will be like for him to go straight from five years of solitary to the street. >> i don't know what's out there for me. i sometimes wonder, when ingot out there, my family would recognize me, if i would be the same person. that's starting over. >> all right, mr. gonzalez.

watch your head. >> i missed you so bad. >> man. i can't believe how wide open it is, from being in that little box for so long. for them people that are still in there, all i can say is that, i'm going to pray for them and hope they can make it out of there with all their sanity, because it's a mad house in there. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm sharyn alfonsi. >> you can see the full documentary sunday on the national geographic channel. and when we come back, big news from the high court, just as john paul stevens will step down, let the high stakes nomination fight begin. ter exte, and you'll dump your old duster.

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"nightline" continues from new york city with cynthia mcfadden. >> we turn now to the nation's highest court, in what is bound to be a political showdown. justice john paul stevens, who turns s 90 this month said toda he will step down. but before you can say jurisprudence, the conversation turned. who will the president choose to fill his shoes? terry moran has this report. >> reporter: the party faithful and party leaders were loaded for bear.

>> from now until november, when they say yes we can, we stand up and we say, oh, no, you don't. >> reporter: while conservatives here cheered sarah palin and bought buttons and hobnobbed, they were planning for a major assault this november on the democrats' control of congress. so, the news that supreme court justice john paul stevens were retiring shot another jolt of political adrenaline through this gathering. so, you predicting a long, hot summer of confirmation battle? >> i think that is very likely. >> reporter: you think it's going to be a big fight? >> i expect it will be. >> i can't imagine that it's not going to be some kind of big brouhaha over the next nominee. >> reporter: for his part, president obama seems to know a fight is coming his way, and today, in describing the kind of nominee he'll look for, he threw down a gauntlet, saying he wanted someone like stevens, a liberal, prepared to reign in corporate power. >> it will be someone who, like justice stevens, knows that in a democracy, powerful interests

must not be allowed to drown out the voices of ordinary citizens. >> reporter: the supreme court, once the back water of american politics, has become one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the bitter partisan wars of our times. >> i think those are most unfair characterizations of my views. >> reporter: ever since president reagan's nomination of judge robert bork gal van niced liberal liberals, supreme court nominations have often turned into titanic televised struggles. >> as a black american, as far as i'm concerned, it is a high tech lynching. >> reporter: this time around, the stakes are high once again. >> what's at stake is nothing less than the future of the liberal leadership on the supreme court. >> reporter: is a political donny brook over the course inevitable? >> republicans are just itching to make a huge amount of hay out of this, and there's going to be political fireworks for many months to come. >> reporter: so, who is on

obama's short list, and how likely are they to trigger the fireworks? elena kagan is the front-runner. she's the solicitor general, the obama administration's top lawyer, and though she's a liberal on social issues like abortion and gay rights, she's a strong defender of presidential powers in wartime. >> elena kagan is very impressive and very appealing, because she meets the goldilocks standard. not too liberal, not too conservative. >> reporter: if the president is looking to stoke his political base, judge diane wood could get the nod. she's a passionate liberal with a sweeping view of the constitution. and then there's the intriguing possibility that the president could pick a politician to put on the court, which he's often said he wants to do. >> we have not had a politician on the court for a long time. it's striking that a majority of the court that decided brown versus board of education in 1954 were former politicians. there were no sitting judges. this court is all former appellate judges. >> reporter: so, the president

is considering former arizona governor and homeland security secretary janet napolitano and michigan governor jennifer granholm. for the president, it's all about legacy. justices usually serve for decades after the chose them retires. for republicans, it's an opportunity to rally the troops in an election year that looks very good for them. >> the white house has had their chance to celebrate. but americans will celebrate in november when they replace this ins late majority. >> terry moran reporting. a senior white house official told abc news that the president will announce his nominee by the end of may. stay tuned for a long, hot summer. we'll be right back. but first, here's jimmy kimmel with what's coming up next on abc. jimmy? >> jimmy: tonight, miley cyrus, music from eriykah badu, and fid out why shannen doherty stiffed