Email 3/22/10 from the National Religious Campaign Against Torture

TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE
Dear NRCAT Supporters:

We are pleased to tell you about the decision made by the NRCAT Board of Directors to expand our mission to include two new areas of work. The decision, made at the Board's December 2009 meeting, followed a 6-month planning process.

NRCAT will now have three areas of work as we carry out our mission to end forever torture that is sponsored or enabled by the United States:
Continuing our efforts to secure permanent changes in U.S. policy to prohibit - without exception - all U.S-sponsored torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of detainees;
Working to end torture in U.S. prisons, including the use of long term isolation and devices of torture; and
Advocating for U.S. policies and practices that will help end torture by other countries.

We will continue to focus much of our energy this year on efforts to secure a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the use of torture since 9/11 and recommend measures needed to ensure that U.S.-sponsored torture never happens again.

The reports on each of the two new areas presented to the Board in December are available on the NRCAT website.

We have also described this year's work within each of these areas in our new 2010 Agenda and a new edition of the NRCAT brochure (http://www.nrcat.org/storage/nrcat/documents/nrcat_brochure.pdf).
Order a bundle of new brochures from NRCAT's online store
In the coming months, we will be adding more information about each area of our work. For now, we have created a webpage highlighting our initial work to end torture in U.S. prisons including our active support of an ongoing legislative campaign to limit the use of solitary confinement in Maine's state prisons.

We will soon be sharing with you new opportunities for local action as we prepare for Torture Awareness Month in June. In the meantime, please share this news of our expanded mission with your faith community and friends - order some new brochures to distribute locally.

With appreciation for all your local efforts,
Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director

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