Solitary Confinement Research Paper

Lurking in United States penitentiaries, lies a concealed auxiliary system of punishment that is used regularly with an augmented experience for those incarcerated. When an individual is incarcerated from society, they will begin to be mentally impaired as many people commit suicide due to the effects of incarceration. Although there are mental tolls, many suffer from the physical hindrance that solitary confinement causes. Solitary confinement must be reformed as it is outdated and inhumane as seen from the vile conditions in the confinement cells, the higher likelihood of suicide and self-harm, and lastly the fact that previously incarcerated individuals are more likely to die sooner post-release. During the 1800’s, Quakers of the United …show more content…
The cells displayed a lack of adequate space and hygiene. As a result, many prisoners had to endure the confined space and unsanitary conditions. The prisoners remained in those cells for prolonged periods of time, deprived of exercise, sunlight, proper nutrition, and social interactions. These cruel conditions took a large toll on the general well-being of those incarcerated. Advancing to the modern day, U.S. prisons face increased criticism for the abuse of solitary confinement as some decisions are racially motivated. These issues were seen to emerge from the racial bias such as prolonged solitary confinement based entirely upon their race. These practices amplify the already severe mental and physical health problems that incarcerated individuals have to face. Solitary confinement cells subject inmates to inhumane and abhorrent conditions, promoting isolation and causing decaying mental health. Solitary confinement, often recognized as a form of psychological torture, has been a concern to the well-being of many as the conditions harm not only the prisoner, but the individuals in the …show more content…
I didn’t have healthy, nutritious food; I was given just enough to not die” (Manuel). The lack of a window deprived Manuel of a connection to the outside world. This worsens the isolation experience and contributes to the cutoff from the outside world entirely. Manuel also mentions the lack of healthy, nutritious food, which is vital for the physical health of oneself. The deprivation of this keystone leads to the deterioration of physical health. Although the horrid conditions were well enough to damage one's health, they also led to other imminent consequences that followed. Within the transition from solitary confinement back to society lies a prominent risk for the mental health of individuals, as they have an increased likelihood of committing suicide or self-harm due to negative psychological effects of incarceration. The absence of social interaction along with the degrading conditions of the cells drive the prisoners mentally insane. “Some people would resort to cutting their stomachs open with a razor and sticking a plastic spork inside their intestines just so they could spend a week in the comfort of a hospital room with a television”

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