Utah inmates may be force fed under proposed bill
Updated: 2/13 9:39 am | Published: 2/13 9:37 am
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah inmates could be forcibly given food or water if their life is in imminent danger under a bill set for consideration by the Utah House.
Republican Rep. Derek Brown says a panel that includes the sheriff, a doctor and a mental health practitioner would decide whether to force feed an inmate for up to three days.
The panel created by House Bill 194 could decide against force feeding or the inmate could appeal the order to a judge.
The bill is set for consideration Monday and could be debated this week.
Utah American Civil Liberties Union attorney Marina Lowe says hunger strikes are a form of protest protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The bill was prompted by the starvation death of an inmate in Salt Lake County last year.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Copyright 2012 Newport Television LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
