Catherine Hokanson

October 17, 2016

Government
Period 2

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The Horrors of Solitary Confinement

From being held in a 9 x 10 foot room, to only getting 7 hours of sunlight per week,
solitary confinement causes mental and physical defects that can never be reversed. Prisoners
who go into solitary confinement often come out with health issues such as sensory deprivations,
depression, suicidal thoughts, and much much more, but the bigger question is is it worth it?
Many people believe that prisoners who go into solitary confinement deserve it because they
have commit some crime that is so big guards feel as if they can not interact with other prisoners.
This issue has been controversial for many centuries, but it seems that no improvements have
been made towards our supermax prison system. The negative effects of solitary confinement
outweigh the positive effects due to the mental damage, physical damage, and economic damage
that it brings upon the United States of America.
One of the most prominent negative effects seen on prisoners in solitary confinement is
the mental damage it causes. A study at Harvard Medical School interviewed prisoners that had
been held in solitary confinement and their observations showed that there were noticeable
psychiatric symptoms such as delirium. The ex convicts also stated that they often experienced
panic attacks, memory problems, and hallucinations that they had not experienced before going
into isolation (Leibelson). These effects have been seen in many other solitary confinement
prisoners. 28% of prisoners in solitary confinement will develop some sort of mental illness,
which only 15% of prisoners in the general population will (Rodriguez). It doesnt seem to be a
coincidence that there is an 8% increase of mental illness in solitary confinement prisoners. This
is due to the lack of social communications, exercise time, and attention that prisoners receive.
Due to the fact that the only social communications these prisoners hold are with medical staff,

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clergy, or counselors, most prisoners held in solitary confinement lose their social skills or other
social pathologies (Riveland). Solitary confinement undoubtedly causes a myriad of mental
disorders in those who are thrown into it and even the worst of criminals do not deserve that.
Besides the mental damages caused by solitary confinement, many physical damages
have also been noted by those who have endured it. Many of the mental effects of solitary
confinement lead to physical harm and suicide attempts. It is found that 53% of self harm
incidents in prison take place in solitary confinement (Willigan). Many prisoners do things such
as cut themselves, starve themselves, smear their feces against the wall, and so much more just to
try and get out of their cell. Their hope is that they will either have to be taken to the medical
wing, or will have to be taken out of their cell for cleaning. A system where people feel as if they
have to self harm is not a system that should be used in America. Not only are there the effects
prisoners inflict upon themselves, there are also the effects that naturally occur. Prisoners in
solitary confinement often suffer from chronic headaches, heart palpitations, oversensitivity to
light, muscle aches, and weight loss (Almendrala). All of these effects are caused by the
depravations of solitary confinement, such as lack of real sunlight, lack of access to exercise,
lack of nutritious food, and so many other necessities of life. Solitary confinement prisoners are
deprived of even the simplest of things such as the daily paper and visitations from friends and
family (Michigan Law Review). A person can not be expected to live with such terrible
conditions, let alone recover from committing a crime. Our prisoners should be getting help for
their issues instead of being put in situations where they are being harmed. A prison system
should work in a way of helping prisoners get back into the normal swing of things, but with
being stripped of basic rights, that is nearly an impossible goal to achieve.

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With national debt already so high, it does not seem reasonable to be spending money in
prisons where its not needed. Since there is no solid evidence that solitary confinement is proven
to be more effective than its alternative (Weir), it should not be taking funds from our
government. It has been found that a daily cost for a prisoner in solitary confinement is around
$216.12, unlike the $85.74 it costs to keep a prisoner in the general population(prison legal
news). It has already been stated that the general population tends to recover quicker than those
in solitary, so why the government spends almost three times as much on solitary confinement
seems illogical. Our government should be putting that money towards rehabilitation facilities
for the mentally ill that would otherwise be thrown into solitary. Not only does solitary
confinement raise the debt of our government, it also raises taxes for taxpayers all around the
country. According to a study done at the Pelican Bay SHU (special housing unit) it costs
taxpayers an extra $12,317 to keep solitary confinement up and running (Bauer). Taxpayers
money should be going towards affairs that are helping our nation, not hindering it. By
eliminating solitary confinement, we lower taxes, which is never a bad idea. When a supermax
prison in Illinois was compared to a normal maximum security prison in the same state, it was
found that the supermax prison cost around $35,800 per prisoner per year, which was almost
twice as much expensive as the maximum security prison (Kurki). Maximum security prisons
and solitary confinement are basically doing identical jobs, so the nation could save almost twice
as much simply by eliminating solitary confinement. Solitary confinement prisons take away
money from our nation and from our taxpayers, therefore eliminating it would make our country
more economically sound.
Many people believe that solitary confinement should not be eliminated because those
who are put into it deserve it, or because it they are a hazard to the rest of the prison. This has

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been a common argument in the controversial debate about solitary confinement being
eliminated. Contrary to the common misconception that solitary confinement is a last resort,
many prisoners are being sent to solitary as a first resort for non-violent punishment and minor
rule offenses (Lueders). This means that people who commit crimes such as money
embezzlement, minor robberies, and other nonviolent crimes are being punished the same as
someone who commits murder. A person who commits a non-violent offense should not be sent
to a facility that is meant for serious offenses. Many people also believe that solitary confinement
helps eliminate dangerous people from roaming the prison. Well, in 2007 researchers at the
University of Washington reported that prisoners released directly from supermax prisons into
the community committed new crimes sooner than prisoners who had been transferred into the
general prison population for several months before being released(Weir). This proves how the
general population calmed them down, and did more good for them than solitary confinement
did. Interacting with people helped these prisoners get back to their normal lifestyle, and helped
them regain their social skills that they lost while trapped in solitary confinement. Everyday
solitary confinement prohibits a prisoner from making his or her way back to a normal lifestyle,
but with a new philosophy all that can be changed.
Todays solitary confinement system is undeniably detrimental to prisoner because of the
mental, physical, and economic effects. America should be focusing on helping our prisoners,
instead of sticking them in a box. By calling attention to this issue, the necessary changes can be
made to make sure our prison system is being supported. Many people are unaware of the
gruesome effects of solitary confinement. By getting the word out and taking action, our prison
system can be reformed in a way to make sure prisons are are working towards helping
prisoners, and giving them an easier path back to normality.

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Works Cited
Almendrala, Anna. "Mental And Physical Damage From Solitary Confinement Can Last For
Years." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 June 2015. Web. 08
Sept. 2016.
Bauer, Shane. "No Way Out." Explora. Foundation of National Progress, Nov.-Dec. 2012.
Web. 18 Sept. 2016.

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Kurki, Leena, and Norval Morris. "The Purposes, Practices, and Problems of Supermax
Prisons."Crime and Justice 28 (2001): 385-424. Web.
Leibelson, Dana. "They Locked Me In That Little Room With Nothing." Explora. Foundation Of
National Progress, Jan.-Feb. 2015. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
Lueders, Bill. "The Horrors of Solitary Confinement." Explora. The Progressive, Oct.
2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
Riveland, Chase. Supermax Prisons: Overview and General Considerations. Washington,
D.C.: National Institute of Corrections, 1999. Print.
Rodriguez, Sal. Fact Sheet. Atlanta, Ga. (1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta
30333): ATSDR, 1990. Solitary Watch. 2011. Web.
"Imprisonment for Debt: Solitary Confinement." Michigan Law Review 6.8 (1908): 709-10. Web.
Weir, Kirstein. "Alone, in "the Hole"" American Psychological Association. American
Psychological Association, May 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
Willigan, Maclyn. "What Solitary Confinement Does to the Human Brain." Solitary Watch. N.p.,
16 Oct. 2015. Web. 08 Sept. 2016.