1. Sonoma State University
Solitary Confinement
Susana
CCJS 201
Sonoma State University
Dr. Garth-James

2. History
In the 1820s the penitentiary system used isolation as rehabilitation
Auburn system permitted inmates to work together but under total silence
Pennsylvania model institutions spend almost all of their time in cells where they worked and slept
They were suppose to turn their thoughts inward to meet god to repent of their crimes
1860s it became apparent that serious health problems had arisen in prison

3. What is Solitary Confinement?
80,000 prisoners in the United States
Some inmates in solitary have mental illnesses, are violent, dangerous, have broken the rules, or are there for their own safety
Locked up to hours per day
The cell that there in is usually eight by ten with a toilet, sink, and bed.
The only human contact that they have is when their being fed or given their medications or taken outside

4. Pros and Cons
a lot of physiological effects both short term and long term
Unfortunately a lot of the prisoners placed in solitary confinement are those who already have a history of mental illness
Over 80,000 inmates
According to Haney “Convicts may resort to acting-out behavior as a means of testing their environment, or they may retreat into fantasy’” (p.268)
Some of the effects are: long-term, impulse-control disorder, suicidal behavior, anxiety and panic disorder to name a few
Keeps officers and other inmates safe
For some they learn their lesson and behave

5. “Solitary Confinement: No Way Out of the Monster Factory”
Final thoughts
Overall solitary confinement has long been part of our prison systems
there was early evidence that such solidarity had a negative effect in inmates, but yet there is over 80,000 thousand prisoners in solitary confinement here in the United States.
It is unfortunate that we as a society have not discovers a new way or system to keep both the correction officers safe while at the same time not harming the inmates
Inhumane
“Solitary Confinement: No Way Out of the Monster Factory”
Nightline abcNews

6. References
Arrigo, Bruce A., and Jennifer Leslie Bullock “The Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement on Prisoners in Supermax Units: Reviewing What We Know and Recommending What Should Change.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 52(6):
Haney, Craig “Mental Health Issues in Long-Term Solitary and “Supermax” Confinement.” Crime & Delinquency 49(1):
Heiden, Zachary “Change is Possible: A Case Study of Solitary Confinement Reform In Maine.” American Civil Liberties Union of Main
Smith, Peter Scharff ““Degenerate Criminals”: Mental Health and Psychiatric Studies of Danish Prisoners in Solitary Confinement, 1870—1920.” Criminal Justice and Behavior 35(8):
“Solitary Confinement: No Way Out of the Monster Factory” September 2012 Nightline abcNews (104)
Solitary Watch. (2013, October, 25). News from a Nation in Lockdown. Retrieved from