Solitary confinement is a controversial form of punishment in prisons where inmates spend up to 23 hours a day in a small cell with no human contact. It is used for violent or dangerous criminals, but can cause mental health issues. Many US states are implementing therapy sessions and good behavior privileges, while some organizations campaign for an end to long-term solitary confinement sentences.
Solitary confinement is a controversial form of punishment used in prison. Prisoners who are placed in solitary confinement will spend up to 23 hours a day in a cell with no human contact except prison staff. It has been called a barbaric form of punishment by its opponents due to its negative impact on the prisoner’s mental health.
In most cases, prisoners do not receive this type of punishment due to their crimes. They are usually placed in solitary confinement for some act of violence that has been committed inside the prison. Prison officials say it is the most violent and dangerous criminals who are placed there. If an inmate is placed in solitary confinement, it is usually because he poses a danger to other inmates. Inmates may also be placed in prison if they are in danger from other prisoners, in which case this is referred to as protective custody.
The cell used for confinement can sometimes be the same size as an average bathroom. In 24 hours, there may be an hour of exercise outside the cell. There will be no contact with the outside world in any form, although prisoners may receive mail. Inmates are usually not allowed to watch television or make phone calls.
Statistics have shown that, in the United States, there are approximately 25,000 prisoners serving sentences in solitary confinement. Many prisoners served 20-year sentences this way. Most of the solitary inmates have been there for more than five years.
A troubling report claims that many of these dangerous prisoners are being led straight from their holding cell to the prison gates once their sentences are over, and there is no treatment or counseling for them before they are released back into public life. In Texas in 2005, 1,458 solitary inmates were released directly from their cell to the general public once their sentences had expired. Many of these prisoners had spent several years in solitary confinement and were then simply released. This type of confinement has been shown to cause some mental illnesses, such as depression. Officials said releasing these prisoners without any preventive treatment could have harmful effects and that the danger to the public is substantial.
Many US states are now implementing some form of anger management and therapy sessions for inmates. Some have implemented good behavior privileges for prisoners in solitary confinement, and many also have panels of officials who now decide who can be released from prison and reintegrated into the prison population. The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch are campaigning for an end to long-term solitary confinement sentences.
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