The Overuse of Solitary Confinement

Invisible Torture:

The Overuse of Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement was used very sparingly for over a century. In 1890, the Supreme Court even came close to declaring it unconstitutional. It has only been in the past thirty years or so that the United States has used it more widely, starting with the first Supermax in 1983. Now the U.S. has over 25% of the world's prisoners with a large amount of them in solitary confinement. There are over 25,000 prisoners in solitary confinement today. In reality, it is more than that but the government will not release the figures. The conditions in the Supermax prisons are considered "on the edge of what is humanely tolerable for those with normal resilience."(Stated by the Supreme Court) The conditions at the prisons do not pose a significantly high risk for inmates of sustaining a serious mental illness, so there can be no legal objection to the use of solitary confinement routinely. It does not make every single person who experiences it crazy so the prisons can use it however often they want. Solitary confinement is the invisible torture in our nation. Historically, it is the background of torture. It has been a part of torture protocols, and was well documented in South Africa. It has been used to torture prisoners of war. Using solitary confinement on prisoners of war has shown that because the prisoner's sense of self is in jeopardy, they become more pliable and easily influenced. Solitary confinement is thought to increase the effectiveness of other torture techniques. This is a very painful, potentially harmful condition of confinement. The United States subjects more of its prisoners to solitary confinement than in any other country in history.

The effects of long-term solitary confinement have proven to be irreparably damaging to the inmates psychologically and socially. There have been several lawsuits filed bringing to light whether the use of it in our prisons is humane and justified. What is the solution to stopping the overuse of solitary confinement enforced for long periods of time? The country needs prison reform and other solutions because solitary confinement is more damaging than it is helpful and it destroys people's lives. We have to keep in mind that a lot of these prisoners will be released and reenter society with the mental scar this form of punishment has had on them. Many never recover from their experiences.

Those who are placed in solitary confinement live anywhere from months to tens of years in small concrete cubes with constant light and little to no human contact. All but the most resilient people begin to have different kinds of mental deterioration in the face of it. Human beings have evolved to be social creatures. Solitary confinement literally drives people crazy. Prisoners can begin to have anxiety and isolation panic. It is very difficult for them to cope with being alone all the time locked in a small box. The inmates lose their grasp of identity and reality. Solitary confinement imposes social and perceptual stimulus deprivation. The lack of activity and cognitive stimulation frighten and cause pain in many inmates, especially the mentally ill. Long-term use undermines a person's sense of self and the ability to register and regulate their emotions. The appropriateness of what they are feeling and thinking is difficult to keep track of because humans are so reliant on the feedback of others. It becomes a struggle to maintain sanity. Something that happens more frequently is the prisoners loses their ability to interact with others. They are no longer capable of social interaction and have difficulty keeping relationships. Some cannot control themselves, others get really depressed, and others become angry and cannot control the impulses. Inmates become cognitively impaired and processing information for them is very difficult. EEG's done on the prisoner's brains show changes in the brain waves from the sensory deprivation. The effects are extensive and long-lasting. There is too much harm being done from using solitary confinement and many people are realizing this and advocating for it to be stopped.

There are many reasons solitary confinement is used. Inmates cannot harm other inmates while they are locked in their cell for usually 23 hours a day. Given the contents of the cell, it is very difficult for an inmate to harm themself. The guards can also control the inmates better when they are secluded from others. The inmates can be monitored for their own safety as well as the safety of others. It is also used as an alternative to the death penalty. Prisoners are put into solitary for violent infarctions, but also for violation of prison rules and affiliation with any gangs. Some even get put in for petty things, like not walking fast enough. Using it is thought by some to provide discipline and prevent violence. In reality, studies have shown that it does not reduce the violence in prisons either against the guards or the inmates. Our country is using this form of punishment