I blogged a few months ago about Gary McKinnon, the British man who faced extradition to the U.S. for breaking into American defense networks in 2002 in a quest to find evidence of a government cover-up on U.F.O.s. McKinnon’s case had drawn considerable media attention because he has Asperger’s Syndrome and his family is deeply concerned that the American prison system is not equipped to handle his mental health needs. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the British Home Secretary rejected a final appeal from McKinnon and ruled that he must be extradited to the U.S. “forthwith”.
The secretary cited as supporting documentation a letter from the U.S. Justice Department stating our government would assure McKinnon receives the necessary treatment and medical care. I’m not sure how much credibility I would give those assurances. The American penal system doesn’t have a sterling record of caring for inmates with mental health needs. McKinnon may still be able to serve his sentence in the U.K., but the Americans seem determined to make an example of McKinnon as a warning to other hackers who might attempt similar mischief. That’s not great news for McKinnon.
