Statement on Solitary Confinement

Solitary Confinement

The use of solitary confinement in American prisons has exploded in recent decades. It was once reserved for the most dangerous or psychotic of prisoners, the tiny minority who posed a real and consistent threat to the general population. It was like prison inside prison; a place where individuals at extreme risk to themselves or others could be isolated from the masses. This is where the obsessively suicidal, the manically violent, and those inclined to serial murder were imprisoned.

In recent years, this general definition of solitary confinement has changed. Today, it is widely used as a punishment; a sadistic twist on a child's time out always hanging in the air, reminding prisoners of all types that worse punishment is just a corrections officer's declaration away. Stepping out of line one too many times, making too much noise, arriving late to work detail; these infractions can end with the prisoner being cuffed and marched to a cement cell the size of a small bathroom.

When someone is locked in solitary confinement, they undergo psychological duress. The extreme isolation is unhealthy, causing the mind intense pain. They are given nothing to do, no paper to write on, no books to read. Absolutely everything they have access to is either clothing or physically part of the room. Intense boredom inflicts the brain, causing uncontrollable feelings of loathing and desperation. Hallucinations are common, and severe paranoia can eat away at the person's common sense, plunging them deeper into irrational thoughts that can cause mental trauma.

In solitary confinement, prisoners are only allowed to be outside of their cell for one hour a day. They usually lose their visitation rights, and so their only chance to communicate with another human being comes during this time. If they are lucky, their time in the yard will coincide with the time of another solitary confinee, and a brief conversation might ensue. Of course, everyone else is languishing under the same conditions, so any possible restoration of normal function is impossible. Communication can be halting and difficult after even a few days in solitary.

When solitary confinement is used as punishment for infractions, and not for true security, the confinee is rarely told how long he or she will have to be there. A corrections officer, counselor, or warden makes this decision using criteria the inmate may not be aware of, or their sentence may be arbitrary. Their mental anguish is compounded by the indefinite terms of their punishment. This breeds a sense of hopelessness that can quickly spiral into depression and desire for death.

Though difficult, solitary confinees often attempt suicide. Many would rather die than face the endless pain of being locked away alone and with nothing. The utter lack of stimulation encourages insanity and causes psychological disorders. Adding to the unnatural conditions is a constant lack of darkness, which destroys the ability to measure time. As psychological distress sets in, time begins to feel like it's standing still, reinforcing feelings of despair.

Solitary confinement damages the mind as badly as physical trauma damages the body. It should be removed from our society as a disciplinary technique just like hurting prisoners in other ways as punishment has been widely rejected by correctional facilities.

When one walks through a solitary confinement block, they are not met with silence. A terrible chorus of wailing fills the air, permeating the walls and the mind. It is state sponsored human suffering, and it is not acceptable or necessary.

It's time to end solitary confinement as punishment in the United States, and fundamentally change the way we isolate the truly dangerous. Solitary confinement is cruel and unusual, and we have an obligation to recognize that. We owe it to our nation and our humanity to treat all of our prisoners with dignity, as well as respect for their basic rights.