In the United States, the Bill of Rights is regarded as one of the most important documents of our nation’s history. An adaptation to the Constitution, the Bill protects its citizens from the government, giving us the freedom our country is notorious for. In our justice system, imprisonment is the deprivation of freedom, which is one of our essential rights. However, this practice is essential in keeping order in our society, and is necessary in protecting citizens from harm. While there are many flaws in the U.S prison system, one of the most harmful aspects is the use of solitary confinement. Inmates who are kept under solitary confinement reside in a single room without human interaction for twenty-three hours a day. The sentencing of solitary
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To understand the nature of solitary confinement, it’s necessary to understand the reasoning behind the punishment. Solitary confinement serves as a consequence for two purposes. It is used for discipline of an inmate, in the instance of bad behavior such as stealing another inmate’s property or violating prison rules. Secondly, it is used to keep dangerous inmates from harming other inmates or prison staff. Inmates under administrative segregation are often kept alone for a longer period of time than disciplinary segregation- up to months or years at a time. Prisoners kept in isolation are more likely to develop a plethora of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, and aggression. Inmates who are kept in isolation are also at an increased risk for suicide. Aside from being inhumane, this is in direct conflict of the Rehabilitation model of the prison system. Furthermore, mental disorders among already dangerous inmates can be a recipe for disaster, which can increase the risk of harm for prison staff. About a study done in 2012 on the impact of solitary confinement on a group on inmates, social scientist Dr. Haney stated, “There 's very little doubt in psychology in general that enforced isolation is psychologically stressful and for some people will be harmful.” For inmates with preexisting psychoses, the impact of solitary confinement could be catastrophic. While many states have developed laws banning the isolation of already mentally impaired inmates, the reality is that the mentally ill are overrepresented out of all the individuals in solitary confinement. Researcher Maureen O’Keefe, who was responsible for the aforementioned study, estimated that thirty-five percent of individuals under solitary confinement are already mentally ill.
To understand the nature of solitary confinement, it’s necessary to understand the reasoning behind the punishment. Solitary confinement serves as a consequence for two purposes. It is used for discipline of an inmate, in the instance of bad behavior such as stealing another inmate’s property or violating prison rules. Secondly, it is used to keep dangerous inmates from harming other inmates or prison staff. Inmates under administrative segregation are often kept alone for a longer period of time than disciplinary segregation- up to months or years at a time. Prisoners kept in isolation are more likely to develop a plethora of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, and aggression. Inmates who are kept in isolation are also at an increased risk for suicide. Aside from being inhumane, this is in direct conflict of the Rehabilitation model of the prison system. Furthermore, mental disorders among already dangerous inmates can be a recipe for disaster, which can increase the risk of harm for prison staff. About a study done in 2012 on the impact of solitary confinement on a group on inmates, social scientist Dr. Haney stated, “There 's very little doubt in psychology in general that enforced isolation is psychologically stressful and for some people will be harmful.” For inmates with preexisting psychoses, the impact of solitary confinement could be catastrophic. While many states have developed laws banning the isolation of already mentally impaired inmates, the reality is that the mentally ill are overrepresented out of all the individuals in solitary confinement. Researcher Maureen O’Keefe, who was responsible for the aforementioned study, estimated that thirty-five percent of individuals under solitary confinement are already mentally ill.