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Although solitary confinement has been used in the United States for over a century, it is time to put an end to this abhorrent punishment. Solitary confinement has been proven over the years to be detrimental to the mental health of inmates. According to an article from the journal Crime and Justice, a staggering percentage of prisoners suffer detrimental mental damage from solitary confinement. Questioned prisoners pointed to stress, thoughts of suicide, hallucinations, and difficulty sleeping as symptoms suffered (Smith, 488). These inmates suffered psychological harm born from isolation. Smith also writes that a greater sensitivity to stimuli was discovered. Some inmates in isolation react more dramatically to normal sounds (Smith, 489). A man left in solitary may suffer a panic attack from a mere drop of water hitting the ground. Crime and Justice states that hallucinations can have a relation with paranoia, a symptom resulting from solitary confinement. While in solitary, unhinged psychosis may develop from some cases of worsening paranoia (Smith, 491). The mental illnesses of prisoners have the potential to further deteriorate from being placed in isolation and leave a permanent impact. Smith finally concludes a plethora of varying psychological reactions is possible. Solitary confinement proves itself to be inhumane to inmates, and worse for those who are mentally ill. When the inmates are released from prison, their lives will be permanently impacted.
Being placed in isolation is considered torture. Humans are social creatures, and the depravity of socialization is unhealthy. Isolation, as a whole, is considered detrimental to the mental health of humans. However, some organizations beg to differ on the psychiatric effects of isolation. As reported in an article from the American Psychiatric Association, the author states, “And even for those inmates who were not mentally ill, simply being in a structured environment helped them get better” (Arehart-Treichal, 2013). This suggests being moved to isolation may not be as psychologically damaging as it is made out to be. Although, a study from the Public Broadcasting Service proves otherwise: “Stuart Grassian, a board-certified psychiatrist and a former faculty member at Harvard Medical School, has interviewed hundreds of prisoners in solitary confinement. In one study, he found that roughly a third of solitary inmates were ‘actively psychotic and/or acutely suicidal’” (Breslow, 2014). It is in solitary confinement that prisoners begin to suffer mental damage and possible suicidal thoughts. It is also in solitary confinement where the prisoners are most susceptible to physical illness. As mentioned in an article from the International Journal of Prisoner Health, “A recent study conducted with prisoners from Pelican Bay as part of the Ashker litigation found that prisoners experiencing long periods of isolation were at significantly greater risk of hypertension” (Ahalt et al., 2017, p.43). Hypertension is unnaturally high blood pressure, which can later result in one suffering a stroke or heart disease. The lack of exercise thanks to the activity privilege revoked, alongside the lack of vitamin D obtained due to little sunlight, only leads to further deterioration of the inmate’s well-being. While the idea of solitary confinement sounds beneficial on paper, it leaves a devastating mental health impact on inmates. Solitary confinement should be abolished in U.S. prisons to prevent trauma and mental health disorders from damaging the lives of prisoners following their release from prison.
Solitary confinement does not work as a method of rehabilitation. For rehabilitation to work, human interaction is required. Solitary confinement, its name suggests, leaves prisoners with no way to interact with other people as they are left in a desolate, closed cell. Quoting author Jason Breslow, he says, “For 23 hours a day, inmates are kept inside a cell that is approximately 80 square feet, smaller than a typical horse stable” (Public Broadcasting Service, 2014). No socialization can occur as the inmates are left in a cell for almost an entire day. Furthermore, there is nobody around to encourage the prisoner-in-question who needs rehabilitation. It can be argued, however, that the period of alone time is what the inmate needs in order to properly reflect upon their actions. They will have time to think to themselves without distractions, such as the ruckus caused by neighboring prisoners. Yet, without someone to discuss the outcome of their actions and how to avoid making the choice they did, an inmate left in isolation learns nothing. There is no guidance, no direction, only the inmate with his furious, exhausted, and possibly terrified thoughts. As the American Psychiatric Association states, “Most people with serious mental illness do not belong in jail or prison because the vast majority are incarcerated for crimes that are not violent and would be far better treated and cared for in the community” (Arehart-Treichal, 2013). This means prisoners with pre-existing mental disorders prior to their entrance into prison will likely suffer the worst without someone to care for them or guide them. When mentally ill prisoner is released back into the world after spending most of their time in solitary confinement, their condition will only be worse than before, and they may eventually end up in prison yet again. Without the correct help, mentally ill prisoners will only find themselves in an unfortunate cycle of mistreatment and punishment, which may ultimately lead to them committing suicide in the end.
Prisoners suffer a loss of freedom when placed in solitary confinement. Inmates who are left in this specialized method of confinement are kept under watch with the highest degree of security. There is absolutely no privacy as a result of this constant supervision from guards. Access to activities on the prison site is also taken away from an inmate who is in solitary confinement. This means there is no opportunity to exercise, converse with fellow inmates, and get fresh air. Self-destructive behavior is also born while in solitary. Once again quoting the International Journal of Prisoner Health, “These negative mental health effects of solitary confinement are well-documented; insomnia, anxiety, panic, disturbances in appetite, paranoia, hallucinations, and self-mutilation are commonly experienced by isolated persons” (Ahalt et al., 2017, p.43). Due to the lack of control over their surroundings and the lengthy amount of time spent alone, inmates will gradually become more self-destructive, turning to the likes of self-mutilation in desperation. It is arguable that the inmates who are placed in solitary do not deserve such freedoms as they have committed crimes that should render them unworthy of having freedom until they prove to have learned their lesson.
The United States is waking up to the effects of solitary confinement on prisoners, and states are working to reform or entirely abolish this method of confinement. For example, Colorado has abolished long-term solitary confinement. As an article from The New York Times declares, “There now is enough data to convince me that long-term isolation manufactures and aggravates mental illness” (Raemisch, 2017). Due to the knowledge of how isolation breeds mental health problems, Raemisch encouraged Colorado to reform its solitary confinement system. In turn, more states, including Pennsylvania, have begun to take action on how they handle using solitary confinement. This demonstrates states are becoming aware of the effects isolation has on inmates and may potentially be motivated to aid the health of prisoners rather than hurt them. However, not all states have a plan to rework or rid of solitary confinement, such as Florida. Laws to change or ban solitary confinement sweeping the nation would be the best possible option for inmates. As also stated in the article ‘Why We Ended Long-Term Solitary Confinement in Colorado’ from The New York Times, “We have done this not only to fulfill Mr. Clements’s vision, but also because since over 95 percent of all inmates eventually leave prison, it is simply the right thing to do — for the inmates and for their communities” (Raemisch, 2017). This statement applies to every prison in the United States.
To summarize, although the battle to change the solitary confinement law nationally would be difficult, it is a necessary fight. The inmates who are placed in solitary confinement are prone to developing mental illnesses, and those who are already mentally ill suffer from amplified symptoms. It is also not mental sickness which prisoners may fall to, but physical sickness as well. The cramped conditions of the cells, when coupled with the activities taken away from the prisoner-in-name, lead to possibly fatal illness. While being left alone to reflect upon their actions sounds effective in theory, isolation fails in rehabilitation. Human interaction is a requirement when it comes to rehabilitation, and without some form of socialization provided, inmates will be driven insane from their thoughts and may turn to self-destructive behavior. Most importantly, the rights of prisoners are stripped upon placement in solitary confinement. Their right to privacy is violated daily and they are not allowed to participate in activities with other inmates. Finally, some states are already working on the reformation or removal of solitary confinement, like Colorado, as mentioned earlier. This is a sign of an incoming national change that prisons need. In the end, for the sake of the prisoners and their well-being, the United States needs to abolish solitary confinement.
Works Cited
- Ahalt, Cyrus, et al. ‘Reducing the Use and Impact of Solitary Confinement in Corrections’. International Journal of Prisoner Health, vol. 13, no. 1, 13 Mar. 2017, pp.41–48. ResearchGate, doi:10.1108/ijph-08-2016-0040.
- Arehart-Treichel, Joan. ‘Solitary Confinement May Not Be Psychologically Harmful’. Psychiatric News, American Psychiatric Association, 17 May 2013, www.psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2013.5b1
- Breslow, Jason M. ‘What Does Solitary Confinement Do to Your Mind?’. PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 22 Apr. 2014, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/what-does-solitary-confinement-do-to-your-mind/
- Raemisch, Rick. ‘Why We Ended Long-Term Solitary Confinement in Colorado’. The New York Times, 12 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/opinion/solitary-confinement-colorado-prison.html.
- Smith, Peter Scharff. ‘The Effects of Solitary Confinement on Prison Inmates: A Brief History and Review of the Literature’. Crime and Justice, vol. 34, no. 1, 2006, pp. 441–528., doi:10.1086/500626.
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