NCJ Number
225360
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 52 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2008 Pages: 622-640
Date Published
December 2008
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A literature review is presented documenting the psychological effects of long-term solitary confinement for prisoners held in administrative or disciplinary segregation with recommendations for future correctional policy reform.
Abstract
As argued, long-term isolation can have emotionally devastating consequences for prisoners. The psychological effects of solitary confinement are related, in part, to the duration and conditions of the isolation. Prisoners with preexisting mental illnesses are especially vulnerable to the destructive psychological effect of segregated housing. The lack of adequate medical and psychiatric care, in prisons in general and in supermaximum security units in particular, compounds these problems. In addition, prisoners in the segregation housing units (SHUs) are uniquely susceptible to physical and verbal abuse by staff. Given the known destructive effects of SHU isolation, a number of recommendations for reform are presented. These reforms include: (1) excluding mentally disordered convicts from SHUs; (2) strictly prohibit abusive treatment of prisoners by staff; (3) providing humane, physical conditions of internment; (4) allowing prisoners opportunities for normal social interaction; and (5) limiting the duration of solitary confinement. Short- and long-term solitary confinement of prisoners for disciplinary or administrative purposes has become an increasingly popular means of controlling prisoner populations in the United States. However, the use of SHUs or supermaximum security units remains constitutionally suspect. This article discusses the psychological impact of solitary confinement on inmates completing their prison sentences at supermaximum security units. Notes, references