What To Do With Ex-Guantanamo Prisoners Who Haven't Been Convicted? Put Them On American Streets.

Jillian Bandes | March 19, 2009 11:50 AM

Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters yesterday that some of the prisoners formerly held in Guantanamo Bay could be released on to American streets after the Department of Justice determines whether or not their cases should go to trial. If their cases aren't trial-worthy, their release will be imminent. Putting these individuals on American streets was considered as an option after Holder asked other countries to take them, and those countries responded by saying the U.S. needed to take some first.

It's a little shocking to consider introducing anyone who has set foot in Guantanamo Bay into our country, but I recognize that simply holding prisoners without charges has already opened the door for government abuse. That said, I want a full disclosure of the biography, nature of the charges, and case review of each prisoner who is even being considered for release to be made available to the public well in advance of their planned release. Transparency is non-negotiable in this situation. I don't need names or identifying information, but I want intimate details as to how the decisions were made that these individuals are not actually a threat.

I also don't want those who are tried in the U.S. and convicted of acts of terrorism to be put in American prisons. Fry them, send them back, or find a new Guantanamo.