Graduated electronic decelerator

Common card · No. 454405

The graduated electronic decelerator (GED) is a torture device that delivers powerful electric shocks to the skin. Created by Matthew Israel for use on people at the Judge Rotenberg Center as part of the institution's behavior modification program, the device and the school's punishment program have been condemned as torture by the United Nations special rapporteur on torture. In 2020, the device was banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration; however, the ban was overturned in federal court a year later. In 2023, the United States Congress amended the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, expanding the FDA's authority to ban such devices. The FDA proposed a new ban based on its expanded authority in March 2024 and accepted public comments on the proposal through May 2024. After allowing two previous self-imposed deadlines (October 2025 and May 2026) to pass, the agency announced in July 2026 that it would make a final decision on the proposed ban by November 2026. Matthew...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Matthew Israel, Public domain