Write to your members of Congress and urge them to end torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees once and for all.

Legislation has been introduced in both houses of Congress that will bring the detention and interrogation policies of all governmental agencies, including the CIA, under the auspices of the Army Field Manual, which prohibits cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees. Urge your Senators and Representative to co-sponsor and work for the swift passage of this essential legislation.

SAMPLE LETTER

[Date]

[Address:
Find your Senators here
Find your Representative here]

Dear [name],

I am writing to express my deepest concern that the United States government, despite its own laws and many international laws ratified by Congress, has continued to employ torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment against detainees in its custody. This kind of behavior undercuts efforts to win conformity with international law and imperils Americans and many other innocent people all over the world, and is simply fundamentally wrong.

I therefore urge you to support legislation that will bring all governmental agencies under the auspices of the Army Field Manual, which expressly prohibits cruel interrogation techniques. Doing so will help ensure the safety of American personnel and political dissidents including writers and journalists in many countries, and will bring America back in line with the law and its own values.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

[Your name and signature]