The number of points given varies by topic. The greater the public benefit the group perceives, the higher the points. There were 17 points possible for requiring background checks for all firearms, 7 points for requiring background checks at gun shows, 5 points for selling childproof locks with all handguns, and 2 points for not forcing employers to allow guns in their parking lots.
California received the highest ranking in the U.S. -- 80 points. Arizona earned zero.
But firearm enthusiasts tend to turn the Brady scores on their heads, i.e. the losing states that Brady says have the weakest gun control laws are hailed as winners, while winning gun-control states like California are dubbed "the worst of the worst."
In a related development, Amnesty International is accusing Arizona of violating international law by improperly using "cruel isolation" for non-violent or mentally ill inmates and depriving them of basic physical and mental health care.
In a report, the human rights organization said that of the more than 2,900 inmates being held in Arizona's maximum-security facilities, more than 2,000 are confined by themselves in windowless cells 22 to 24 hours a day. They suffer sensory deprivation with little access to natural light and receive no work, educational or rehabilitation programs, the group charged.
Amnesty said that Arizona's isolation system has led some inmates to commit suicide, caused depression and anxiety and worsened pre-existing mental illnesses.
The groups issued several recommendations for the Corrections Department and Gov. Jan Brewer. They include: Reducing the number of prisoners in isolation; improving conditions in the isolation units; removing prisoners with serious mental illness from the units; taking suicide-prevention measures; and barring children under 18 from being held in solitary confinement.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
