Despite assertions that the Obama Administration still intends to close Guantanamo Bay, a group of Senators has introduced legislation that would keep the prison open permanently.

The five Senators hope to keep the prison open on the grounds that the U.S. needs a place to keep terrorists. They claim that keeping the prison open will allow the U.S. to safely house newly captured terrorists while allowing for the further collection of information.

The Senators misguidedly call Guantanamo Bay a "model prison." But reports of long prison stays with no charges brought upon the prisoner, extended solitary confinement and the "unjustified homicide" of about 30 prisoners contradict this assertion. These, as well as other, human rights abuses hardly paint a picture of Guantanamo Bay as a "model prison."

Demand that Guantanamo Bay be closed in favor of housing prisoners in facilities that truly are transparent and can prove that human rights abuses are not committed.

The history of Guantanamo Bay Prison has been riddled with stories of human rights abuses. To keep it open is to support a facility that goes against everything the U.S. is supposed to stand for.

Assertions that Guantanamo Bay is a "model prison" and is at all "transparent" completely contradict reports about physical and psychological torture, long prison stays for uncharged detainees and, most recently, the "unjustified homicide" of about 30 prisoners. The prison is neither "model" nor "transparent" in its operations as evidenced by these accusations and the repeated refusal to grant private access to prisoners.

Obviously, keeping the United States and its citizens safe is of paramount concern. However, using a facility that supports obscurity and torture is not the way to do this. Close Guantanamo Bay in favor of developing better, more humane facilities to house international prisoners.