What is Protective Custody in Prison and Why Would You Want It?
You have to weigh the pros and cons and there are quite a few.
There’s a prison within a prison known collectively as Protective Custody. Depending on the facility, it could also be called the SHU, the hole, or solitary confinement — but they all refer to one place, administrative segregation (AdSeg) or Protective Custody (PC).
The specific name depends on the facility, but administrative segregation is always a special unit that is separate from the general population. The inmate cells are smaller and more secure. They are usually a concrete room with nothing more than a bunk and a toilet. An inmate can find themselves in AdSeg for a variety of different reasons.
Being housed in AdSeg is often a punitive measure for inmates who get into fights, can’t follow the rules, or misbehave in some way.
However, an inmate can also request to be placed in AdSeg or protective custody for a number of reasons.
Who Asks for Protective Custody?
High risk inmates are those who have committed violent and/or sexual crimes against children and women, rapists, animal abusers, and those who have committed crimes against the elderly. Other inmates who request protective…
