Tonight: Explore solitary confinement with National Geographic

As Portland Phoenix readers well know, we've been covering living conditions in the Maine State Prison's solitary-confinement supermax unit for more than four years now.

But these issues are getting more national attention now. Recently, National Public Radio aired a significant piece on solitary confinement, which you can listen to by clicking here.

And tonight, the National Geographic Channel will have a special on solitary confinement at the Colorado State Penitentiary, looking not only at issues in that prison but the larger problems involved.