Solitary confinement consists in isolating people in a closed cell area for many hours or days at a time, sometimes even years. Those individuals are forced to go without any other human contact, and are quite often subjected to a refusal of basic medical, dental, and other healthcare needs.

It happens quite frequently in the US, to both children and adults, where thousands of individuals have been placed in solitary confinement. And research has found that among the many negative effects associated with solitary confinement, one of them is alleged to be an increased risk of self-harm, and it might induce psychiatric disorders, among other issues.

typical solitary confinement cell

The average cost to put someone in solitary confinement is about $75,000 per year. And that money seems to have been badly invested, seeing as a number of lawsuits have been launched over the matter. Solitary confinement is very costly to the community, as taxpayers have already lost millions of dollars thanks to losing various lawsuits that have been launched over injustices and wrongdoings related to this sort of punishment.

One family in Milwaukee recently alleged that their family member was subjected to torture in being punished to undergo solitary confinement for 10 days; alleging that the staff there refused his pleas for water. The family has already launched a federal lawsuit over the allegations and they say that they are even looking to consider felony charges against those who were working on duty at the time that the victim died.

There have been many cases of abuse related to solitary confinement and it's a practice that many legal experts and human rights advocates strongly protest against.

According to the Department of Justice, it's estimated that a quarter of inmates who are currently behind held, who suffer from some mental disorder, are being placed into solitary confinement. It's an injustice to consider the widespread abuses that are occurring to people that require mental help, counseling and other healthcare assistance, rather than severe physical torment and punishment.

It's estimated that there might be at least 80,000-100,000 people who are currently being held in solitary confinement within the US.

In New Mexico, lawmakers there are considering a bill that would seek to ban the use of solitary confinement for anyone under the age of 18, as well as anyone who was pregnant, or someone who might have a serious mental disability. Other states, like California, have also considered similar bans.

Correction officers argue in favor of solitary confinement and say that it is a necessary tool that is required in order to protect staff and inmates from one another, but it is clear that there are many injustices occurring that are not being dealt with accordingly. If corrections officers cannot be trusted to not abuse their authority in exercising solitary confinement as a punishment option, then they shouldn't be given that option.

Pics:

Pixabay

Motherboard/vice

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/27/what-is-solitary-confinement

https://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/solitary-confinement-prisons-key-data-research-findings

http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/opinion/editorial/2017/03/09/paying-big-use-solitary-confinement/98964078/

http://www.wsaw.com/content/news/Milwaukee-inmates-family-says-dehydration-death-was-torture-415920013.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/27/what-is-solitary-confinement

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/architects-code-of-ethics