mr. samuels who is with us. at our 2012 hearing, we found that the overuse of solitary can present a serious threat to public safety. increasing violation inside and outside prisons. the reality is that the vast majority of prisoners held in isolation will be released someday. the damaging impact of their time in solitary or their release directly from solitary can make them a danger to themselves and their neighbors. i want to note this is the one year anniversary of the tragic death of federal correctional officer eric williams who was killed by an inmate in a high-security prison in pennsylvania. we owe it to correctional officers who put their lives on the line everyday to do everything we can to protect their safety. make no mistake, that means that some dangerous inmates must be held in segregated housing. but we also learned from states like maine and mississippi which reduced violation in prison by reducing the overuse of solitary confinement. i made a personal visit to a prison closed in illinois called

mr. samuels who is with us. at our 2012 hearing, we found that the overuse of solitary can present a serious threat to public safety. increasing violation inside and outside prisons. the reality is that the vast majority of prisoners held in isolation will be released someday. the damaging impact of their time in solitary or their release directly from solitary can make them a danger to themselves and their neighbors. i want to note this is the one year anniversary of the tragic death of federal correctional officer eric williams who was killed by an inmate in a high-security prison in pennsylvania. we owe it to correctional officers who put their lives on the line everyday to do everything we can to protect their safety. make no mistake, that means that some dangerous inmates must be held in segregated housing. but we also learned from states like maine and mississippi which reduced violation in prison by reducing the overuse of solitary confinement. i made a personal visit to a prison closed in illinois called

mr. samuels who is with us. at our 2012 hearing, we found that the overuse of solitary can present a serious threat to public safety. increasing violation inside and outside prisons. the reality is that the vast majority of prisoners held in isolation will be released someday. the damaging impact of their time in solitary or their release directly from solitary can make them a danger to themselves and their neighbors. i want to note this is the one year anniversary of the tragic death of federal correctional officer eric williams who was killed by an inmate in a high-security prison in pennsylvania. we owe it to correctional officers who put their lives on the line everyday to do everything we can to protect their safety. make no mistake, that means that some dangerous inmates must be held in segregated housing. but we also learned from states like maine and mississippi which reduced violation in prison by reducing the overuse of solitary confinement. i made a personal visit to a prison closed in illinois called

mr. samuels try to stress it and i would also is that at one time in my early law enforcement career i may have had that same impression, but i truly have to tell you that overall i have never seen a more dedicated professional group of men and women that risk their lives and they do it because they want to have a safer community and they put themselves at great risk to do that. that aside, there's, like any large bureaucracy, and we tend to be the largest in each state or close to it, i have 6,000 employees, you end up with problems. and it's how we react to those problems, and that's why right now, one, i really appreciate what you've done by calling this hearing and, two, by having me participate because i can tell you that i don't know of any state in the nation that is not taking a very hard look at their administrative segregation policies. you have really brought it to the forefront. we all understand that as professionals that the movement is to -- this isn't the right way we should be treating people and we get that. what we do ask for is help in finding some solutions because the

mr. samuels said. i respect him. i have known him for quite some time. working with the association of the state correctional administrators association we've done a lot of work and best practices. let me throw some things out there as i quickly end as i'm running out of time. for some reason we seem to think that for admin seg someone is in a cell 23 hours a day. who defines that? there's probably some obscure court case that mandates that's what happens? why isn't it 212 -- why isn't it 22 hours a day? how about 20 hours a day? how about 18 hours a day or they start at 23 and work their way down to 10? that's one thing we're going to be doing. it's been automatic for the most part that someone on death row is going to stay in administrative segregation until they're put to death. and as we know a person spends many years and some are found innocent and released, and we're going to be changing our policy on that and giving them the opportunity to get outside of their cells. where we're going to end up in colorado is that only the extreme violent, and th

mr. samuels try to stress it and i would also is that at one time in my early law enforcement career i may have had that same impression, but i truly have to tell you that overall i have never seen a more dedicated professional group of men and women that risk their lives and they do it because they want to have a safer community and they put themselves at great risk to do that. that aside, there's, like any large bureaucracy, and we tend to be the largest in each state or close to it, i have 6,000 employees, you end up with problems. and it's how we react to those problems, and that's why right now, one, i really appreciate what you've done by calling this hearing and, two, by having me participate because i can tell you that i don't know of any state in the nation that is not taking a very hard look at their administrative segregation policies. you have really brought it to the forefront. we all understand that as professionals that the movement is to -- this isn't the right way we should be treating people and we get that. what we do ask for is help in finding some solutions because the

mr. willis polk and having him sign it for you. let me introduce, first, our panel. beginning with from the united states supreme court, associate justice samueluse] and you can come on up. next, from the new york times and pbs, david brooks. [applause] somebody who wrote a book entitled is this a great camel or white, which is the funniest book i have ever read, the one and only tim kurkjian. [applause] and one of my all-time favorites, christine brennan. [applause] and finally on the panel the incomparable george will. [applause] and the book is on the hundredth anniversary of wrigley field, nice little place on the north side. it is my privilege to introduce our moderator who has become a great, great friend. you have a copy of one of his books. he has written two others. he is an attorney from dallas, texas, an extraordinary fellow here with his wonderful family, and i would ask that you welcome, please, talmage boston. [applause] >> before we begin i will take a personal privilege. at the front table here we have part of the ownership group and executive vice president for the rangers. the rangers have come to town this weekend to play a