[JURIST] US Navy Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby [official profile], commander of Joint Task Force – Guantanamo Bay, has said that the US military plans to improve conditions by providing low-risk detainees at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] more educational and recreational opportunities, according to an AP interview published Thursday. Buzby acknowledged that there are benefits to giving detainees external stimulation, and said that recreation areas will be renovated to give detainees a window.

The planned changes, which follow the apparent suicide death of a detainee in late May, come amid renewed calls for the closure of the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay from prominent officials, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell [JURIST report]. In May, the US House of Representatives passed an amendment to a defense spending bill which would require the Pentagon to develop a Guantanamo shutdown plan [JURIST report]. The White House has denied any imminent plan to close Guantanamo [JURIST report]. AP has more.