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Solitary Confinement Pros And Cons

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Many disagree with solitary confinement for one main reason, and that is the mental health of the inmates being isolated. Sources go into great depth on the many negative effects severe isolation has on the psyche. For example, from studies it was said to be concluded that solitary confinement damages inmates psychologically in various ways. Inmates were found to be more suicidal, and even apt to developing mental disorders such as schizophrenia because “Their symptoms are greatly exacerbated (sometimes to the point of madness) by their forced nomadic, stimuli-deprived environments”(Mann). Inmates may experience hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. Because of this mental strain, it is argued that inmates even suffer physical difficulties, …show more content…

“Solitary confinement can actually fit the definition of torture, as stated in some international human rights treaties. This means that it constitutes a violation to human rights.”(Many times solitary confinement means that the prisoner is kept locked in their cell anywhere from 22-24 hours a day, with only usually an hour period of exercise time out of the cell. These solitary confinement cells are approximately 80 feet, and prisoners eat, sleep and defecate all in this small space. (Landau) So, this means that not only is the mind affected, but inmates lack exercise, natural sunlight, and are forced to live in a cage-like cell as if they were animals. For many this constitutes a violation of basic rights. Because of the severe isolation and lack of stimuli, many consider the institution torture, hence in their opinion violating the basic rights of the prisoner. “Our faith traditions teach us that every human being possesses inherent dignity, a quality that does not disappear behind prison gates. Prolonged isolation violates individuals' God-given dignity by destroying prisoners' minds.”(Rice) Also, those with a religious background argue that those who follow fatih, should see that solitary confinement contradict rights given to people by God, rather than just lawful/human

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According to Bassett, 50% of suicides occur inside solitary confinmenet (419). Not to mention, inmates are sometimes physically abused by the guards in power. Through the Solitary Nation documentary, it is seen that guards sometimes have to use bigger forces like a toxic gas to get an inmate out of their cell. While it makes sense that guards have to do it for their own protection, there needs to be thought about why inmates do the things they do. When inmates suffer from their mental illnesses, they begin to lose their sense of reality as well as sense of right and wrong.

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Craig Haney’s article Mental Health Issues in Long-Term Solitary and “Supermax” Confinement illustrates the complications faced in solitary confinement emphasizing the rise in mental health challenges imposed. Particular attention is paid to the escalation in the nature of mental health-related issues, including the negative psychological effects of imprisonment. Haney discusses these increasingly widespread and specialized units that bring forward the issues presented taking into account the notion of isolation and the association of the high percentage of prisoners suffering from mental illnesses. The article briefly assesses the recent case law concerning the difficulty of mentally ill prisoners, suggesting that the majority of broader psychological problems have been overlooked by the courts.

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754 Words | 4 Pages

Imagine being trapped in a damp, dark, cage as a form of punishment for something that seems completely out of your grasp. Prisons were understaffed and as barbaric as it gets the people charged with crimes were whipped. The primary cause for their creation was to keep the crooks from harming any people right? Everyone in solitary confinement is treated the same way but not everyone came for the same reason. In fact, mentally ill people were considered to be harsh maniacs which did not receive treatment for a long time.

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75 Words | 1 Pages

Solitary confinement, in my opinion, is cruel and unusual punishment. If there was not a mental-health crisis in America, and there was in fact a rehabilitation-focused prison system, solitary confinement would be greatly reduced and used much more sparingly. What is the point of driving people to madness by putting them in isolation? It would be so much cheaper for tax payers to change the system to a more effective one that actually reduces

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638 Words | 3 Pages

Major Ethical Issues of Solitary Confinement Solitary confinement can affect a person’s physical and mental health simply because it deprives an individual of their need to interact with others on a daily basis. Solitary confinement, which is used to restrain violent and volatile inmates from the general prison population, is done in increments ranging from several months to years. In an article retrieved from the American Psychological Association, ‘Alone, in ‘the Hole’’, the author states that, “for most of the 20th century, prisoners' stays in solitary confinement were relatively short.” This was the standing rule, in which inmates visited what is known as ‘the hole’, for several weeks to months. As time went by, the average length of stay

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488 Words | 2 Pages

In Atul Gawande “ HellHole” essay they talked about the experiences and effects of people who were previously in solitary confinement. Solitary confinement can be best explained as the process of removing an individual and isolating them from their environment and socialization. Atul Gawande is specifically talking about prisoners of war and incarcerated people and how their experience was and that process. The essay talked about how people are put in isolation which caused them to act out of their character. Goffman would argue that effects of solitary confinement are exactly what total institutions can do to a person's.

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They are limited to the things they get to do, things they read, and who they talk to. The inmates themselves think that sitting in solitary “creates monster” and

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Some individuals find solace in being alone; however, imagine being alone in a concrete cell for months or even years? Isolated from the entire world into a small box seems intimidating, but this tactic is used throughout the US prison system. Solitary confinement is as a disciplinary action on the prisoners to ensure their safety and serve as punishment. This issue has raised both ethical and practical questions on its usage through US prisons because of its benefits and drawbacks. Isolated and cramped, for the next months or years, in a small area where the prisoner would sleep and eat is implemented into the prison systems.

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1065 Words | 5 Pages

By definition, solitary confinement is the isolation of a prisoner in a separate cell as a form of punishment. This technique has been practiced in the United States since the early 1800’s and arguments on whether or not it should be practiced followed very soon after its institution. Arguments surrounding solitary confinement are slightly diverse, ranging from full support to views denouncing it. The arguments are more complex than just pro versus con; however, some reside in the middle of the argument, acknowledging its flaws and expecting reform, but also acknowledge the base purpose of the institution.

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739 Words | 3 Pages

Thousands of people across America are experiencing near-hell while they are locked inside a type of prison called solitary confinement. Solitary confinement must come to an end in America, even for the worst of criminals. The effects of solitary confinement consist of mental illnesses, wrongful convictions, staff members receiving trouble, the long-lasting suffering for the criminals, and the number of people experiencing it must end now. Solitary confinement can change the life of a person behind bars forever. Prisoners are left with multiple mental illnesses, and some are worse than others.

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473 Words | 2 Pages

Lack of detention or rehabilitation centers. More funding and better service within these areas. “Unfortunately, jails were, and often continue to be, ill-prepared to effectively screen, assess, and treat individuals with mental health concerns. The relationship between mental health issues and

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839 Words | 4 Pages

This shows that people held in solitary confinement are more likely to develop a worse mindset after solitary confinement than when they came into solitary confinement. It also shows that solitary confinement makes a major impact on the lives of human beings, it could kill people. Another detail from the text states, “ Those who do make it out

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446 Words | 2 Pages

Solitary confinement is, “Living in a concrete box the size of a walk-in closet. You get tour meals through a slot, you do not see other inmates, and you never touch or get near another human being”(Stevenson 129). Solitary confinement is a punishment not fit for humans. Humans need social interaction to live. We have established how messed up solitary confinement is, but how do we fix it?

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353 Words | 2 Pages

In my honest opinion solitary confinement in the U.S. is not justified and only does more harm than good. Not only is it a rash punishment, but it is one of the worst kinds of psychological tortures that could be inflicted upon an inmate. Human beings are undoubtedly social creatures and without the mere contact of another person the mind decays and ultimately leads a person to anger, anxiety, and hopelessness. Psychologists also claim that solitary confinement and isolation in general also cause depression or the loss of ability to have any "feelings", cognitive disturbances, such as confused thought processes and disorientation, perceptual distortions, such as hypersensitivity to noises and smells, distortions of sensations, and hallucinations affecting all five senses, as well as paranoia and psychosis which often times involve schizophrenic type symptoms, and finally, the worst of all symptoms, being self-harm such as self-mutilation, cutting and even suicide attempts.

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1189 Words | 5 Pages

The 2010 One Year Longitudinal Study of the Psychological Effects of Administrative Segregation conducted by a group of scientists concluded, “Although there were statistically significant findings, the results did not support the hypotheses of the study. We expected that there would be a worsening over time in reported behavior/sensations and that this change would be worse for inmates with mental illness in AS. However, we found that when significant changes over time occurred, they tended to be in the direction of improvement and this improvement tended to occur more frequently for inmates with mental illness,” (. O’Keefe, page 150). This study was conducted in Colorado. Although Colorado is known for having a few supermax prisons, their prisons are not as inforcing about contact with the outside during confinement as our very own Washington.

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