Solitary Confinement Essay

The United States prison system has seen a significant rise in prisoners over the past few decades. Currently, the rate of incarceration outweighs the rate of new cells being built. Because of this, prisons become more crowded every day. Crowded prisons fester with hate and pent-up aggression. Those who step out of line are met with swift discipline usually in the form of solitary confinement. While many might argue that solitary confinement is the most effective method of discipline, countless studies have shown that this assumption is nearsighted. Though there are some benefits to solitary confinement that must be addressed, solitary confinement causes irreversible damage to the brain and emotions. Solitary confinement must be looked into

Additionally, institutions that implement solitary confinement are often housing the worst of the worst. These inmates are prone to violence and will lash out without being provoked. According to Statsia, a statistics-based company, there were “143 homicides in prisons in 2019”(Statsia). To combat this level of violence, prison officials are more frequently using “solitary” as punishment. By arguing that they are taking out the “bad apples” solitary confinement is often used as a justification for systemic racism. While segregating violent offenders might seem like a reasonable solution, much is revealed by looking at the demographics that make up solitary confinement. Although the amount of racism has declined in the US, prison systems are a step behind. According to a study by Yale Law, “45% of the restricted housing program was made up by African Americans”(Williams). Yale law also found whites were underrepresented in solitary due to “racial inequality among guards”(Williams). Because of these discrepancies, it can be reasonably assumed that prison guards are singling out prisoners of minorities that have a negative connotation. Solitary confinement creates a way for prisons to segregate prisoners unfairly based on racist stereotypes. This trend occurs because of the vague rules about who is sent to solitary confinement. Often, who is placed in solitary confinement is up to prison guards who may be biased with racist ideas. Fortunately, if

Sitting in a plain room for hours on end with no one to converse with often leads inmates to have psychological breakdowns. This phenomenon is explained in depth in the article “Hellhole” by Atul Gawande. During his time as a prisoner in the middle east, interviewed prisoner of war, Terry Anderson recounts the mental deterioration he faced by being alone for extended periods. In this position, he explains that solitary confinement not only affected his mind but his body as a whole. Terry experienced symptoms such as uncontrolled trembling, headaches, and brain fog(Gaqande). Coincidentally, or not, these same symptoms are mirrored in persons who spend extended periods in solitary confinement back in the US. Long-term inactivation of the brain inflicted by solitary confinement causes permanent damage to the brain. Unlike Terry Anderson, who was placed sometimes with other prisoners of war, inmates often have no one to talk to for years on end. While Terry's symptoms were relieved by communication with others, inmates never receive these breaks from the harsh silence of a solitary cell. These inmates slowly lose a sense of reality and suffer from severe psychological problems. While solitary confinement only holds a small chunk of the prison population, the Prison Policy Initiative has found that these inmates contribute to “half of the yearly suicides” inside the