The Effects of Solitary Confinement

If you’ve seen the show “The Arrow” or maybe even the movie “Unbroken”, you have seen solitary confinement in its prettiest form.. But what is solitary confinement? Solitary confinement is the isolation of a prisoner (in a separate cell) as punishment, but not just any cell, a cell the size of a horse stable. With this deluxe package you get a toilet, a bed, cement walls completely surrounding you, and nonstop fluorescent lights. Oh, and get this, that door (that locks you out of society), you don’t get to use unless your going to shower. Sounds fun, right? We also have to remember that kids/minors are also included in solitary confinement. This is point-blank inhumane, because most people who live through solitary confinement don’t leave the same. They suffer from physiological damage such as depression and/or PTSD(post-traumatic stress disorder). All humans have rights, even those in jail, and solitary confinement crushes those rights and treats people like scum.

First of all let’s just start with the basic facts about solitary confinement. According to Source A the inmates are kept behind a solid steel door for 22–24 hours everyday. Along with that they also have very, very limited contact with the outside world. They have awful physical and mental health resources “provided” if you could call it that, and very restricted reading material. Today nearly all 50 states are participating in the acts of solitary confinement that, according to source A, do not have a “federal reporting system that tracks how many people are isolated at any given time”. In other words that means that we never really know exactly how many prisoners are in confinement at any given time. While there are many reasons inmates can be placed in solitary confinement, some that I found were…

1. Fighting with another inmate,
2. The need of separation from other inmates,
3. It can be used to manage gangs,
4. Along with being used for people who seem to be a “political threat”,
5. Fighting and/or killing a guard,
6. or for minors talking back to a guard or getting caught with a pack of cigarettes.

Most people who enter solitary confinement have already been in prison. So they don’t go straight into it from the outside world, which is good, but the effects on some of their lives after they are released aren’t nearly as thought out. Many inmates can become overly aggressive towards anyone or overly anxious which makes any form of communication very difficult. Solitary confinement (for a long period of time) basically fries the inmates brains, because not only are their living situations awful, but the effects on their minds are worse. “Some people may experience visual and auditory hallucinations, […] hypersensitivity to noise and touch, […] uncontrollable feelings of rage and fear, […] increased risk of suicide, […] and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder”, says the American Friends Service Committee. Source B also informed me that…

• 91% suffered from anxiety and nervousness
• almost 90% of the prisoners suffered serious psychological trauma
• 80% suffered from headaches, lethargy, and trouble sleeping
• 70% feared impending breakdowns

There can even also be physical harm like inmates wanting to hurt themselves or lack of sunlight (this can increase the risk of diabetes, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis and rickets). I know that most of the people who enter solitary are bad people, but do these conditions and affects really make the inmates better people?

There is also a form of solitary confinement for minors, which is kind of awful if you think about it. Sometimes they have one window that offers some light, but otherwise they are completely isolated. And because a human brain isn’t fully formed until you are 25, the effects on minors are a lot more dangerous (especially for ones who have disabilities or history of trauma and abuse). While confined, children are regularly deprived of the services, programming, and other tools that they need for healthy growth, education, and development. Sometimes they may receive a book or bible, but only few get real studying material, which doesn’t help their educational futures. So let’s think about this, a 16 year old goes into solitary confinement, and can’t finish school has almost no reading material, and school is definitely not their top priority. Now picture this they get out of jail after a year or two and now they’re 20, because they’ve been in jail their chance at getting a good job is already very slim, but now they also aren’t educated and have to go back to high school which may not be an option at that age. So a high paying job is almost out of the picture, and if they can’t make money then how can they pay for a house and food and clothes? If they’re a student before they go into confinement they should still be allowed to be a student while in it.

While most people would agree that the punishment called solitary confinement is almost as harsh as it gets, some people find it the slightest bit enjoyable. Being able to be alone is stressful at first, but then it gets easier for them. In one interview on man said that “The 42 days I was in solitary confinement in Springfield, Missouri were the best and easiest times of my incarceration”. He claimed that, “because nobody is bothering you, you can study and read and you can pray, you could do whatever you wanted”, and because of the separation he didn’t have to worry about getting mixed into a fight. There are different perspectives on everything, but overall solitary confinement is just cruel. Rights should be taken away as you do something bad, but not all of your rights should be taken away.

Vocabulary (the bolded words)

Lethargy is a lack of energy and enthusiasm.

Rickets is a disease of children caused by vitamin D deficiency, characterized by imperfect calcification, softening, and distortion of the bones typically resulting in bow legs.

— — — — — Citation A — — — — —

“Solitary Confinement Facts.” American Friends Service Committee, 23 Feb. 2018, www.afsc.org/resource/solitary-confinement-facts.

— — — — — Citation B — — — — —

Seeker. “What Solitary Confinement Does To The Brain.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE71OCsjaW0.

— — — — — Citation C — — — — —

“What Does Solitary Confinement Do To Your Mind?” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/what-does-solitary-confinement-do-to-your-mind/.

— — — — — Citation D — — — — —

“Growing Up Locked Down: Youth in Solitary Confinement in Jails and Prisons Across the United States.” American Civil Liberties Union, Aclu, www.aclu.org/report/growing-locked-down-youth-solitary-confinement-jails-and-prisons-across-united-states.

— — — — — Citation E — — — — —

Interview