In his Nov. 7 letter, Paul B. Fluehe described what he believes to be a more appropriate form of punishment for Ayoola Ajayi than the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is apparently unfamiliar with the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits cruel or unusual punishment.
One could debate whether solitary confinement is cruel or unusual, given what we know about the mental illness it can produce. Leaving a human being alone to die a slow death from a treatable disease or failing to provide palliative care at the end of life, as Mr. Fluehe proposes, is undeniably cruel.
Aharon D. Shulimson, Salt Lake City
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