A U.S. Senate subcommittee is holding hearings on the practice of solitary confinement in our nation's prisons. Here's what Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years in prison for murder before being exonerated, had to say about the practice:

"Solitary confinement does one thing: It breaks a man's will to live and he ends up deteriorating. He's never the same person again... [it is] inhumane and by its design is driving men insane."

That's from a man who experienced it. Here's what Charles Samuels, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, had to say about the practice:

"Our objective is always to have the individual to freely be in the general population... I would say I don't believe it is the preferred option, and that there would be some concerns with prolonged confinement."

"Concerns" like driving people insane.

Let's think of something better. Anything, really, would be an improvement.

[Photo: AP]