Daryl Matthews
Encyclopedia
Daryl Matthews is a medical doctor and a Professor of forensic Psychiatry
at the University of Hawaii
.
Matthews has served as a Psychiatric consultant to the US Army
. Matthews has been called in to give advice about the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
s, in Cuba
, where suspects in the global war on terror
are held in extrajudicial detention.
reports that, although he is personally opposed to the death penalty, Matthews has served as an expert witness in cases where the death penalty is a possible penalty, and his views may play a role in whether that sentences is imposed.
cited an interview Matthews had done with the Associated Press
where he commented about a June 2003 visit:
According to CBS Matthews it was "appalling" that camp doctors were sharing information from the detainee's medical records in order to aid interrogators to use the detainee's weaknesses against them.
He also said that information from the detainee's medical files could give interrogators "tremendous power".
Al Jazeera
attributed the following view to Matthews:
"Daryl Matthews, a professor of forensic psychiatry at the University of Hawaii who examined the prisoners, stated that given the cultural differences between interrogators and prisoners, such a classification was difficult if not impossible."
In 2003 the British
paper, The Guardian
quoted Matthews about the composition of the detainee population at Guantanamo:
Matthews pointed out that there are more secure prisons in the USA. Matthews pointed out the elements that Guantanamo detainees experienced in common with criminals in US prisons. However, Matthews also pointed out unique stressors Guantanamo detainees experienced that common criminals do not:
Matthews conducted clinical interviews with Salim Hamdan, one of the ten detainees who had faced charges before Guantanamo military commission
s.
The New Standard reports that Matthews's court declaration about Hamdan described him as "particularly susceptible to mental coercion and false confession", because of the conditions of his detention.
He also concluded that the "conditions of his confinement place Hamdan at significant risk of future psychiatric deterioration."
Forensic psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry is a sub-speciality of psychiatry and an auxiliar science of criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry...
at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
.
Matthews has served as a Psychiatric consultant to the US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Matthews has been called in to give advice about the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
s, in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, where suspects in the global war on terror
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
are held in extrajudicial detention.
Views on the death penalty
The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reports that, although he is personally opposed to the death penalty, Matthews has served as an expert witness in cases where the death penalty is a possible penalty, and his views may play a role in whether that sentences is imposed.
Guantanamo views
CBS NewsCBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
cited an interview Matthews had done with the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
where he commented about a June 2003 visit:
- "There were many things I wanted to see that I was precluded from seeing, particularly with the interrogation issues, In no way did I get honest or accurate information. I feel like I was being systematically misled."
According to CBS Matthews it was "appalling" that camp doctors were sharing information from the detainee's medical records in order to aid interrogators to use the detainee's weaknesses against them.
He also said that information from the detainee's medical files could give interrogators "tremendous power".
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
attributed the following view to Matthews:
"Daryl Matthews, a professor of forensic psychiatry at the University of Hawaii who examined the prisoners, stated that given the cultural differences between interrogators and prisoners, such a classification was difficult if not impossible."
In 2003 the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
paper, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
quoted Matthews about the composition of the detainee population at Guantanamo:
- "They are an extremely heterogeneous group. There are some 40 different nationalities, there's 18 different languages, There's a big division between Arabic-speaking and Urdu-Pashto-speaking ones. There are some people who are extremely well educated and westernised, and some people who are not at all. There are some very young people and some very old and wise people. There are people who speak English well, people who don't speak English at all. There are some who go in with mental disorders there are some very secular, and some deeply devout."
Matthews pointed out that there are more secure prisons in the USA. Matthews pointed out the elements that Guantanamo detainees experienced in common with criminals in US prisons. However, Matthews also pointed out unique stressors Guantanamo detainees experienced that common criminals do not:
- "But at Guantanamo there's an added level of stress, and I think that is the thing that's somewhat unique... Inmates in a normal prison are focused on how much time they are going to serve, on contacting their lawyers, on being able to take constructive efforts to get out; these are important ways prisoners deal with the stress of confinement, and these guys can't do anything."
Views on Hamdan
According to The New StandardThe New Standard
The New Standard is a free distribution semi-monthly Jewish news publication servicing the Greater Columbus, Ohio area. It competes with The Ohio Jewish Chronicle, a weekly newspaper that has been serving the Columbus Jewish community since 1922. The paper was founded by Daniel Newman in 2003 and...
Matthews conducted clinical interviews with Salim Hamdan, one of the ten detainees who had faced charges before Guantanamo military commission
Guantanamo military commission
The Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...
s.
The New Standard reports that Matthews's court declaration about Hamdan described him as "particularly susceptible to mental coercion and false confession", because of the conditions of his detention.
He also concluded that the "conditions of his confinement place Hamdan at significant risk of future psychiatric deterioration."