RoslynReid

10515
PennState

WhatDoYouThink?
By:RoslynReid

HaveyoueverheardoftheConstitution?Ifnottheconstitutionisabodyof
fundamentalprinciplesorestablishedprecedentsaccordingtowhichastateorother
organizationisacknowledgedtobegoverned.BeforetheConstitutionbecameto
Constitutionpeopledidn'treallyagreewithitbecausetheythoughtitdidn'tgivethe
peopleavoice.TomakeacompromisetheBillofRightswasmade.Thiswasatoone,
makepeoplefeelliketheyhaveavoice,andtomakesurethatnoonecouldbe
overruledortreatedwithoutrespect.Thisbringsmetothethe8thamendment.The8th
amendmentwhichisapartoftheBillofRightssaysthatanycruelorunusual
punishmentsarenotallowed.Wellhaveyoueverheardofsolitaryconfinement.Solitary
Confinementiswhenaprisonerisisolatedfromhumancontactexceptforguardsand
confinedtoa6by9feetcellfor23hoursleavingonly1hourforrecreationbyyourself.
Ifyouaskmesolitaryconfinementisaviolationofthe8thamendmentbanagainstcruel
andunusualpunishmentbecauseitcausesprisonerstobecomeindanger,itcostlots
ofmoney,andhumansarebuilttobesocialanimals.
Tostartoffsolitaryconfinementisabigdangertowardsprisoners.Accordingto
ABCNews,IsSolitaryConfinementaDangersolitaryconfinementcancausebrain
damage,prisonerstocommitsuicide,andbecomementallyandsociallychallenged.
Prisonissupposedtobeaplacewherepeoplewhooncedidbadthingscanlearnfrom

RoslynReid
10515
PennState

whattheyhavedoneandlearntoacceptconsequencesforterriblebehavior.Nota
placewheretheyhaveriskofgettingbraindamageandorevenbecomesdeceased.
Prisonersbeingstuckinonlittlecellcausesthemtobecomedepressedandangry
makingthemwishtheycouldbearoundotherthingsandpeople.Totheguardsthey
mayseefineenoughforthemtobeplacedbackintotheregulardaytodayprison
curricularwithpeople.Butwhattheyfailtoknowisthatbecausetheyhavebeenlocked
inthatsmallroomforsolongtheybecameirregulartosocietyandactoutincrazy
ways.Somewhodon'tevenmakeittogettingoutofsolitaryconfinementcannottake
thestressandsmallspaceandbecomesodepressedthattheydecidetokill
themselves.Thethereisbraindamage.Braindamagecancomefrominjurytrauma
fromprisonersyellingandactingoutinawaytoshowthattheywantnothingtodowith
solitaryconfinement.It'scrazybecausetheysaythatsolitaryconfinementisusedto
keepmostendangeredvictimsoutofhurtingothers,buthonestlyit'sliketheyare
makingthemmoredangerous.Butevenmoreit'slikejailisbecomingadeathlyand
unsafeplaceforalmostanybody.
Youeverheardthephrasemoneydoesn'tgrowontrees,ifyouhavejustknow
obviouslyitisverytrue.Solitaryconfinementmustthinksobecauseitcostmillionsof
dollarsayeartokeepsomeoneinsolitaryconfinementaccordingto
(C
ite:National
PublicRadio:SolitaryConfinementCosts$78KPerInmateAndShouldBeCurbed,
CriticsSay,2/25/14).Thisismorethanjustamoneyproblem,butajudicialproblemin
themaking.SolitaryConfinementissupposedtobeforthemostdangerouscriminalsor
thosewhoareabletocommitcrimesinjaillikekillingaguard.Thereareabout25,000

RoslynReid
10515
PennState

prisonersinsolitaryconfinementinacountrylet'sjustsay.Youmeantotellmethatall
ofthose25,000peoplekilledsomeone.Courtorcorrectionofficersareusingsolitary
confinementtojustgetsomeoneofftheirhandsorbettersaidastomaketheirjobs
easier.Yeah,itmightbeusedifaprisonerfoughtanotherprisonerbutdon'tpeoplefight
allthetime.Notsayingitagoodthingbutitsureisn'tunusual.Tolessentheamountof
moneypaidyearlyforsolitaryconfinementcorrectionalofficer,judges,andlawyers
needtobewiseaboutwhoisputinsolitaryconfinementandwhoisn't.
Lastlybutnotleastifnotknown,humansaresocialanimals.Weweremadeon
thisearthtointeractwithotherhumansandanimals.Solitaryconfinementkeepsus
fromdoingthesethings.AccordingtoThehealtheffectsofsolitaryconfinement,
expertshaveidentifiedsolitaryconfinementaspsychologicaltorture.Thiscauses
prisonerstolosethenaturalabilitytosocializewithothers.Havingacriminalrecord
alreadylessensyourchancesofhavingajobbutnotbeingabletohavetheskillsof
knowingwhentotalkorknowingwhentogiveeyecontactcanlessenthechanceseven
more.Iftheythinkyoucan'teventalk,myselfandotherswouldthinkthatyoucan'teven
completeadailyjob.Solitaryconfinementholdpeoplebackfromtryingtohaveabetter
futureorevenmoreshowingpeoplethattheyhavechanged.
Inconclusionsolitaryconfinementisaviolationofthe8thamendmentban
againstcruelandunusualpunishmentbecauseitcausesputprisonersindanger,itcost
lotsofmoney,andhumansarebuilttobesocialanimals.SolitaryConfinementcauses
jailtobecomeaverydeadlyplace.TomakeitbetterIwouldsaythatifanyoneisput
intosolitaryconfinementleavethemintherefornomorethan6mothstoayear.No

RoslynReid
10515
PennState

longerthanayear.Thisgivesprisonerstimetolearnthatwhattheyhavedonecausea
dangertopeoplearoundthemandthatit'sbestforthem.Iwouldalsosayinordertobe
putintosolitaryconfinementajuryneedstotakeplaceindecidingso.Notjustthe
insideoftheprisoncanmakethedecision.SolitaryConfinementwouldn'tbeso
dangerousifprisonerswereleftthereforsolong.Ithinkthatisthemostbiggest
problem.Thelongperiodoftimecausepeopletohavebraindamageandlostof
suicides.Solitaryconfinementsofarisn'tmakinganytypeofsensesofar.Itpurecruel
andunusual.Butthemainquestionis,WhatDoYouThink?