At nine prisons across California, more than 500 inmates continuing a hunger strike they began July 8 to protest what they call cruel and inhumane conditions, and this action — the third hunger strike in two years — must surely lead many Californians to wonder: Why should we care? What concern is it to peaceful and law-abiding citizens that people convicted of serious crimes experience deprivation? Is their fate not deserved?

We should care. Our treatment of prisoners, even the most dangerous and irredeemable, is a fundamental expression of American values. It is the primary illustration of what we actually mean when we speak of justice, and it is our announcement to the world that we do or do not have the courage, and the honesty, of our convictions.

We say we lock people up to keep ourselves safe, to deter other would-be criminals, to express our respect for and reliance on law, to rehabilitate when possible. And, yes, to punish. Retribution has a role. But torture does not. There is a point beyond which, without constant review, oversight and checks of the conscience, incarceration can give way to sadistic torment.

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