Arguments Against Solitary Confinement

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Solitary confinement is a very prevalent punishment for crime. But, some do not realize how morbid solitary confinement really is. Solitary confinement is strictly isolated confinement in a small area away from other individuals. A rather large percentage of people who are sentenced to prison or jail have reported spending various amounts of time in solitary confinement. In 2011-2012, 20 percent of inmates in state and federal prisoners had spent time in solitary confinement (Bureau of Justice Statistics). When placed in solitary confinement, inmates are housed in a cell that is 8 foot by twelve-foot for twenty-three hours a day. They are only released to take a shower and exercise in a fenced in space (Will). Though people may say that solitary confinement is a necessary form of punishment, some may not know the …show more content…
The supreme court has stated that “A considerable number of prisoner’s fell after even a short confinement, into a fatuous condition, from which it was next to impossible to arouse them, and others became violently insane; others, still committed suicide. Americans should be aroused against this by decency and prudence” (Will). Inmates should face the consequences of their actions, but solitary confinement should not be an acceptable form of punishment because it can prompt self-harm, it can cause psychosis, and it is not effective. In the past, people have deemed solitary confinement an effective form of punishment. However, since then many research studies have been conducted and published, stating the opposite. “Several studies have shown that inmates housed in solitary confinement suffer from insomnia, anxiety, panic, withdrawal, hypersensitivity, ruminations, cognitive, dysfunction, hallucinations, loss of control, aggression, rage, paranoia, hopelessness, lethargy, depression, emotional breakdowns,

Arguments Against Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement should not be used as a punishment for prisoners because it does not help prepare them to return to society, but instead just hurts them even more. Putting a person in solitary confinement can diminish their mental state and make it harder for them to be able to improve as a human being. Cesar Francisco Villa is a man who has been in solitary confinement for eleven years. Sitting in solitary confinement did not help him, as he explains, “By the third week, I found myself squatting…

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Arguments Against Solitary Confinement

Solitary Confinement Punishment Solitary confinement should not be used on inmates unless they have serious mental issues. The effects of solitary confinement are too dangerous to be used on every inmate, “People have to be able to look at this and say this just isn’t right”. Unless you can justify this craziness, you just have to stop it”(Interview with Nick Trenticosta). Solitary confinement makes people go crazy. Hint that roughly 13 of solitary confinement inmates are psychotic. Solitary confinement…

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Arguments Against Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement should not be used as a punishment since it destroys the minds of those who submit to it. Thomas Silverstein spent thirty years in solitary confinement. He shares his story stating “Shortly after I arrived, the prison staff began construction, adding more bars and other security measures to the cell while I was within it.It is hard to describe the horror I experienced during this construction process. As they built new walls around me, it felt like I was being buried alive” (Qtd…

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Arguments Against Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement should never be used as a punishment against inmates of any degree. There are many inhuman crimes that are committed by people daily, and those criminals deserve to be held accountable for those actions, yet the punishment of solitary confinement is only adding fuel to the fire. Many of the criminals are already psychologically impaired and depriving them of true help to isolate them will only lead to harm. Although the severity of the crimes vary, the jail sentence will incarcerate…

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Solitary Confinement Is Cruel And Ineffective

Nelson Tello Ms. Wallace English 3 29 April 2024 The Abolishment of Solitary Confinement Solitary confinement is an ineffective system that needs to be abolished. Solitary confinement is the act of isolating a prisoner in a cell with little to no contact with others as a form of punishment. Solitary confinement has been used in prisons across America and other prisons around the world. Solitary confinement should be abolished as it has been proven to be psychologically harmful, counterproductive…

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Hellhole By Atul Gawande Summary

United States prisons frequently put prisoners in long term solitary confinement for offenses ranging from violence to cursing at a guard, and research shows that such punishment results in extreme psychological abuse. Atul Gawande explores the history, policies, and consequences of solitary confinement as well as the alternatives to solitary, in Hellhole, a 2009 article in the New Yorker. Gawande uses strong emotional appeals to evoke compassion from the reader, and backs up those pathos with evidence…

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Solitary Confinement Research Paper

complications occur. Over the years, the idea of solitary confinement has gone by a myriad of names: “Communication Management”. Control Units. The ‘The Hole.’ Intensive Management. Lockdown. The. Protective Custody. Restricted Housing. Security Housing. Segregation. Solitary. The. Supermax” (Adkins 1). However, as put by Amey Victoria Adkins, “a rose by any other name still smells sickeningly sweet” (Adkins 1). Despite its numerous titles, solitary confinement unites all of these ideas under one definition:…

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Pros And Cons Of Solitary Confinement

worse than solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is being confined to a small room for 23 hours a day and capital punishment is a fancy way of dieing with the government approval. Which of these would be worse? Both have been around for centuries and both of these punishments have their cons and pros. These two punishment have been given to many criminals and have been showed true consequence to the crime world changing the way we call justice. First as stated before Solitary confinement had been…

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Sex Offender and Different Sexual Predators Essay

throughout the United States, some are very frightened by the discussion of this topic, but why? In the United States, an estimated 19.3% of women and 1.7% of men have been raped during their lifetimes. (Breiding, Matthew) There are many different arguments that are placed on this specific topic, some people believe that certain individuals dress inappropriate with revealing clothing which give predators the impression that the victim desires more than a friendly conversation. Studies show that once…

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Essay on Sociology and Common Sense

Key Points Humans are, at their very core, social animals- more akin to pack or herd animals than to individualistic cats. (Pgs 4-5) Humans were not made to be solitary creatures; although there are introverts, extraverts, and we all enjoy some alone time we also crave both physical and mental stimulation from others. In the book we are given an example about a boy who decided to sail alone around the world and stated that he learned a lot about people by doing so. He was able to take the time…

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