Former New England Patriots star tight end Aaron Hernandez will remain in solitary confinement at the Bristol County Jail on the first-degree murder charges he faces in connection with the execution-style slaying of semipro football player Odin Lloyd, according to TMZ.com.
Jail officials have determined it will be in Hernandez’s “best interest” to remain isolated from the general population. Hernandez has been jailed without bail since late last month after Lloyd’s bullet-riddled body was found less than a mile from Hernandez’s North Attleborough mansion on the morning of June 18.
Fearing violent inmates may target him for persecution as a “prize” to impress other inmates, Hernandez, 23, has been held in the solitary wing of the facility since being taken into custody several weeks ago. On Thursday of this week, attorneys from Hernandez’s defense team and jail officials met where it was decided it was in wiser to keep him confined in his single-cell dwelling for up to 23 hours per day.
Despite reports Hernandez is adjusting well, earlier this week the ACLU argued that the conditions he is being held in are akin to a form of torture and stand as a severe blow to his longtime, mental well-being.
“Regardless of what you think of Aaron Hernandez, it's important to take a minute and remember he has not yet been convicted — in the eyes of the law, he is still innocent until proven guilty," ACLU.org wrote. "But, while awaiting trial, he has been locked alone in a small room with little or no human interaction for over 20 hours a day."
In further discussing the "debilitating psychological effects" inflicted on prisoners held in such extreme isolation, ACLU officials also note that studies show prisoners released from such conditions suffer from much higher rates of repeating criminal behavior.
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