 Imagine having no control over where you go or what you do. Imagine losing all of your freedom and sense of autonomy. That's bad enough. Now imagine being crammed into a confined space without a bed to sleep on, a space where you're lucky to find a spot on the ground to lie down. Imagine going to sleep every night hungry, drinking water that isn't clean, not being able to shower, not having access to proper health services, being exposed to high rates of communicable disease, and being vulnerable to violence. In addition to all of that, imagine being cut off entirely from loved ones. This is the situation for many detainees around the world, especially in countries affected by war and violence. They're suffering well beyond a loss of freedom in ways that strip them of their dignity. Whether they're guilty or not, they are presumed to be criminals. So does it really matter if they have a bed or enough food or access to a lawyer? To answer that, we've got to look at international rules and standards defined by international humanitarian law and human rights. These rules mean that detainees have to be protected, particularly their dignity and physical integrity. Being imprisoned is enough of a punishment. When prison conditions violate international law, something has to be done. The International Committee of the Red Cross is mandated by the Geneva Conventions to monitor conditions of detention and detainee rights, and has been doing so for over a hundred years. Today, it conducts visits in over 90 countries around the world by working with detaining authorities to give them proper living conditions, adequate food and water, access to health care, and contact with loved ones. Everyone deserves to be treated humanely.