The Box (torture)

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The Box, also known as a hot box or sweatbox is a method of solitary confinement used in humid and arid regions as a method of punishment and torture. Anyone placed in one would experience extreme heat, dehydration, heat exhaustion, even death: depending on when and how long one was kept in one. Another variation of this punishment is known as sweating: the use of a heated room to punish or coerce a person into cooperating with police officials.

[edit] Usage

Used by prisons in the American South until later in the 20th century.
- An incarcerated murderer reported being locked up in one in an Alabama prison in 1998, after publishing an inflammatory letter.
- Chain gang prisoners were often subjected to this form of torture.
Reported use of "extreme heat" and "sweating" in China against dissidents.
Reported use of "extreme heat" on Palestinian captives.
Reported use during the Vietnam War.

[edit] Examples in fictional media

In the book I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang, later adapted into the 1932 film, described this form of torture in detail. Warner Bros. decided to not include this device in the film.
A character in Nightmare in Badham County! is tossed in a "hot box" for an escape attempt.
An episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast has Space Ghost threatening to throw Zorak "in the box" (consistent with the program's play on Southern humor).
In an episode of Deep Space Nine, Commander Sisko is tortured by extremists using a hot box.
In The Longest Yard, the lead character Paul Crewe is thrown in a hot box for a week to coerce him to participate in the warden's football activities.
Gene Wilder's character was placed in a "hot box" in the film Stir Crazy.
An episode of Batman: The Animated Series Bruce Wayne is thrown in a sweat box while on an undercover case.
The movie Bridge on the River Kwai shows an attempt at coercing a British military officer into collaboration with the Japanese enemy.
The movie Cool Hand Luke depicts a Florida prison warden who puts Paul Newman's character Lucas 'Luke' Jackson into The Box for refusing to submit to the system.
In an episode of Farscape, "Mental as Anything", John Crichton is subjected to a hot box as a method of developing a mental resistance to Scarran heat-based torture.
Cat of CatDog is subjected to The Box for offending the proprietor of the city pool, which also doubled as a prison for pool rulebreakers.
TJ from the animated show Recess is subjected to "The Box" as an alternative punishment for his rule breaking.