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Two Spokane Psychologists Sued Over Interrogation Techniques

Scott Feldstein via flickr
American Civil Liberties Union logo

Two psychologists who worked for the Air Force out of Spokane are being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The two psychologists, James Mitchell and John “Bruce” Jessen designed and implemented the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques. The pair had previously worked for the U.S. military, designed the torture methods on CIA prisoners to test and refine the program.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of three men —who were tortured using methods developed by Mitchell and Jessen. One of them was tortured to death, and the other two are now free.

The ACLU suit says the men  claimed that their program was scientifically based, and safe,but in reality, The program was unlawful and its methods barbaric. 

Torture methods devised by Mitchell and Jessen and inflicted on the three men include slamming them into walls, stuffing them inside coffin-like boxes, exposing them to extreme temperatures and ear-splitting levels of music, and starving them,

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington state, where Mitchell and Jessen & Associates were based and where Jessen still lives.

Steve was part of the Spokane Public Radio family for many years before he came on air in 1999. His wife, Laurie, produced Radio Ethiopia in the late 1980s through the '90s, and Steve used to “lurk in the shadowy world” of Weekend SPR. Steve has done various on air shifts at the station, including nearly 15 years as the local Morning Edition host. Currently, he is the voice of local weather and news during All Things Considerd, writing, editing, producing and/or delivering newscasts and features for both KPBX and KSFC. Aside from SPR, Steve ,who lives in the country, enjoys gardening, chickens, playing and listening to music, astronomy, photography, sports cars and camping.