  World Report 2013 - United States  Publisher Human Rights
Watch Publication Date 31 January 2013 Cite as Human Rights
Watch, World Report 2013 - United States, 31 January
2013, available at: [accessed 14 March 2014]  The United States
has a vibrant civil society and media that enjoys strong
constitutional protections. The victims of abuse are typically
the weakest and most vulnerable in US society: immigrants,
racial and ethnic minorities, children, the elderly, the poor,
and prisoners.  The US incarcerates more people than any other
country. Practices contrary to human rights principles, such as
the death penalty, juvenile life-without-parole sentences, and
solitary confinement are common and often marked by racial
disparities. Increasing numbers of non-citizens are held in
immigration detention facilities although many are not dangerous
or at risk of absconding. Federal prosecutions for illegal entry
and reentry have escalated.  The federal government under
President Barack Obama has continued some abusiv