In the early days of MKULTRA, while the Central Intelligence Agency scrambled to defend against the alleged “brainwashing” programs of foreign countries, and to create its own, Agency staff responsible for the program responded to a report describing reported Soviet brainwashing efforts. In a letter formerly classified SECRET, CIA staff dismissed the Soviet techniques as “police tactics which would not be condoned in a democratic country.” The tactics described in the report not only mimic tactics which have been used in Guantanamo Bay and in CIA black sites, proved to be a source of inspiration for some post-9/11 interrogation programs.

After three years of processing, the Pentagon has finally released its catalogue of video games available to detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

At Guantanamo Bay, detainees, awaiting hearings that may never come, have access to a 35,000-item detainee library. But while that library is primarily filled by donations, its acceptance criteria and process - and even its current catalogue - are strange open secrets, viewable in glimpses but guarded against full disclosure.

The U.S. installation continues to claim millions of dollars in private contracts, including for G4S, an outgrowth of prison operator GEO Group’s parent, Wackenhut, and other private security operators tasked with running the base’s Migrant Operations Center.

Stories FOIA told this week has a last minute change of plans, but still coming through with your weekly round up of great stories FOIA and public records helped tell this week — plus news about changes (or potential changes) in state laws.