The Effect of Long-Term Solitary Confinement
Communication and social interaction is the foundation of all human relationship. In 2009 author and surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande’s “HellHole”, an article in New Yorker magazine on what's happening in prisons across America. In the article, Gawande describes that humans are social animals, explaining that “once humans are stripped of consistent social interaction, they began to lose their minds.” Through his personal creditability, detailed emotional descriptions, and attempts to provide solutions, Gawande makes a powerful argument.
First, Gawande is credible. He gains credibility throughout the essay by giving great examples. His examples include descriptions of solitary confinement so the reader can see what it is like. Professor Harry Harlow, a psychology instructor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, …show more content…
The author’s use of logic provides formal and ethical appeals towards better solutions. One solution, according to Gawande, is to consider the option to implement Great Britain’s prison system. The author believed the British system gives prisoners who committed offenses the most power over their own destiny by slowly reducing isolation, and then systematically moving on to those prisoners having the ability to labor and be both socially and logically rehabilitated. Gawande writes, “The British noticed that problem prisoners were usually people for whom avoiding humiliation and saving face were fundamental and instinctive. When conditions maximized humiliation and confrontation, every interaction escalated into a trial of strength. Violence became a predictable consequence.” (Gawande). Moreover he stated, “The results have been impressive. The use of long-term isolation in England is now negligible. In all of England, there are now fewer prisoners in “extreme custody” than there are in the state of Maine.”
Communication and social interaction is the foundation of all human relationship. In 2009 author and surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande’s “HellHole”, an article in New Yorker magazine on what's happening in prisons across America. In the article, Gawande describes that humans are social animals, explaining that “once humans are stripped of consistent social interaction, they began to lose their minds.” Through his personal creditability, detailed emotional descriptions, and attempts to provide solutions, Gawande makes a powerful argument.
First, Gawande is credible. He gains credibility throughout the essay by giving great examples. His examples include descriptions of solitary confinement so the reader can see what it is like. Professor Harry Harlow, a psychology instructor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, …show more content…
The author’s use of logic provides formal and ethical appeals towards better solutions. One solution, according to Gawande, is to consider the option to implement Great Britain’s prison system. The author believed the British system gives prisoners who committed offenses the most power over their own destiny by slowly reducing isolation, and then systematically moving on to those prisoners having the ability to labor and be both socially and logically rehabilitated. Gawande writes, “The British noticed that problem prisoners were usually people for whom avoiding humiliation and saving face were fundamental and instinctive. When conditions maximized humiliation and confrontation, every interaction escalated into a trial of strength. Violence became a predictable consequence.” (Gawande). Moreover he stated, “The results have been impressive. The use of long-term isolation in England is now negligible. In all of England, there are now fewer prisoners in “extreme custody” than there are in the state of Maine.”