Seattle University Collaborative Projects - International Academy of ...

outright abolition of the death penalty, finding it to be a separate human rights concern from theimposition of death itself. These decisions have relied in part upon mental health experts, someof whom point out that the isolation, solitary confinement, and uncertainty about executionincrease the potential for profound mental illness: delusions, suicides, psychosis, and, in somecases, complete incompetence. Although the United States Supreme Court acknowledged thispotential more than 60 years ago, no modern Supreme Court case has followed the internationalpractice of examining the legal quandaries presented by a prolonged wait for execution.Prefrontal Cortex Regions and Rorschach DeterminantsMyla H. Young, Private Practice, El Dorado Hills, USA (mylayoung@sbcglobal.net)Jerald V. JusticeIn this research, 231 male prison offenders who had been referred for psychiatric evaluationwhile in prison participated in a study in which criminal and psychiatric records were reviewed,interviews were conducted, comprehensive neuropsychological testing was completed and theRorschach Test was administered. Using the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological BatteryImpairment Index, a group of participants who demonstrated brain dysfunction were comparedwith a group of participants who had normal brain function. The focus of this portion of theresearch study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Rorschach Test as a measure of brainfunctioning. Functioning of neuropsychological measures and Rorschach determinantsassociated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were identified. The dorsolateral, orbitofrontal,mesial, and motor regions within the PFC were independently evaluated and Rorschach Testdeterminants associated with each of these PFC regions were identified. Results demonstratedthat a pattern of Rorschach determinants significantly discriminated between prison offenderswith brain dysfunction and those with normal brain functioning. It was concluded that, as well asa measure of psychiatric disorder, the Rorschach Test should be considered a useful measure ofbrain functioning.The Role of Culture in Guantanamo’s Capital CasesScharlette Holdman, Center for Capital Assistance, New Orleans, USA(scharlette@mitigate.com)In the Guantanamo capital cases, culture is critical to the defense team’s understanding andinvestigation of detainees’ cultural and religious beliefs which will likely figure prominently inthe government’s case at all stages of the proceedings and require rebuttal and correction ifinaccurate or misleading.Culture is relevant to all phases of the Guantanamo proceedings, from building a relationshipwith the client to presenting claims arising from torture and cruel and inhumane treatment at the262