We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Criminal

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Hooding?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 13,256
Share

Hooding is a practice where guards or law enforcement personnel place a hood over the head of a prisoner to restrict vision and cause disorientation. According to the United Nations, this practice is a form of torture, and is not legally permissible. It may accompany interrogations, prisoner movements, and prisoner abuses like beatings. This combined with its status as a torture technique makes it a controversial practice, and many nations bar its use.

While hooded, the prisoner experiences sensory deprivation. It is impossible to see, and the sense of smell and hearing may be impaired by the thick hood. People handling the prisoner may spin him around and use other tactics to make the prisoner feel off balance. Prisoners cannot find doors and windows, do not know who is present in the room, and cannot interact with other prisoners who may be present. Tight hoods can also restrict breathing, and may endanger the prisoner in some settings.

Hooding has a long history in execution, where prisoners were traditionally hooded before the executioner carried out the sentence. As a torture technique, it emerged in the later part of the 20th century. Hooding has a number of advantages for interrogators. In addition to keeping the prisoner confused and agitated, it also makes it impossible to report on who was present at the time. This can allow interrogators to use illegal practices in confidence so that even if prisoners do manage to report them, they will not be able to identify the perpetrators.

Interrogators may beat a prisoner while she wears the hood. Being unable to see and having limited hearing leaves the prisoner at a disadvantage, as she may not know where the next blow is coming from or where it may fall. Interrogators may use this method to instill fear and nervousness in prisoners, leading them to associate the hood with unpleasant experiences. Hooding can be used as a threat to get a prisoner to talk.

There are settings where at least partially covering the head of a prisoner may be necessary for safety. Partial hooding can conceal a prisoner's identity from other people, which may be an issue when a prisoner is providing information and could be subject to retribution. Law enforcement may also want to partially hood prisoners to limit distractions while moving them around a facility to limit distractions. The prisoner will be able to see out, but other people will not be able to identify him and call out or interfere.

Share
MyLawQuestions is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a MyLawQuestions researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.mylawquestions.com/what-is-hooding.htm
Copy this link
MyLawQuestions, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

MyLawQuestions, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.