Solitary Confinement In Supermax Prisons

Solitary confinement has been a moral controversy since its early introduction into the American prison system in the nineteen hundreds. Sharon Shalev, a prominent researcher for the effects of prolonged isolation, defines solitary confinement as a method of isolation for forced on inmates for 22.5 to 24 hours a day with no human contact. The debate surrounding solitary confinement concerns the morality of enclosing a person for an extended amount of time without human contact. Proponents of solitary confinement urge that public interest takes precedence over the well-being of a high profile criminal. Additionally, proponents argue that solitary confinement decreases the recidivism rate amongst high risk criminals. Conversely, opponents insist elongated solitary confinement violates the eighth amendment on the basis of cruel and unusual punishment. In addition to the eighth amendment, researchers suggest that solitary confinement almost always creates a …show more content…
Since research indicates that an inmate’s mental health tends to deteriorate while in solitary confinement, the procedure’s by staff in the prisons are ineffective. To illustrate, Dr. Sharon Shalev, a human rights activist and criminologist, writes in her article “Solitary Confinement and Supermax Prisons: A Human Rights and Ethical Analysis” about the effects of solitary confinement on offenders and the legalities of methods used within Supermax Prisons. (Shalev, 151) Shalev mentions how there are frequent indicators of anxiety, depression, anger, cognitive disturbances, perception distortions, and paranoia & psychosis present in permanently isolated individuals, leading to irreversible damage to the brain. The cause of these mental illnesses stem from the involuntary placement of at-risk inmates into desensitized cells, and harsh treatment from prison guards who facilitate their stay within the