The research is clear: Solitary confinement causes long-lasting harm At the International Symposium on Solitary Confinement, researchers and formerly incarcerated people made it clear that isolation causes severe and permanent damage.
Premature deaths — by suicide, homicide, or opioid overdose — after release from prison are more likely for those that spent any amount of time even one day in solitary confinement than those who never did. Stay Informed Email:. Prison Policy Initiative newsletter? Research Library?
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Is social distancing possible behind bars? Further, many researchers conclude that some adverse consequences of solitary confinement are a direct result of sensory deprivation Smith, ; Shalev, Confined inmates may experience an increased oversensitivity to normal stimuli, such as the sound of closing doors, something that may contribute to sleeping difficulties Smith, The increased likelihood that inmates will overreact to stimuli makes their return into the general prison population much more difficult Smith, These physical symptoms may worsen with repeated visits to solitary confinement and aggravate already existing psychological symptoms, as well as lead to the development of new psychological effects Shalev, Confined inmates experience a multitude of psychological effects, including emotional, cognitive, and psychosis-related symptoms Smith, ; Shalev, Solitary confinement is considered harmful to the mental health of inmates because it restricts meaningful social contact, a psychological stimulus that humans need in order to remain healthy and functioning Smith, Longer stays in solitary confinement are associated with greater mental health symptoms that have serious emotional and behavioral consequences.
Smith, ; Shalev, Emotional and behavioral effects of solitary confinement. The majority of those held in solitary confinement experience adverse emotional effects that can range from acute to chronic, depending on the individual and the length of stay in isolation Shalev, Confined prisoners also report feelings of panic and rage, including irritability, hostility, and poor impulse control.
Additionally, they frequently exhibit symptoms of anxiety that vary from low levels of stress to severe panic attacks. Isolated inmates also experience symptoms of depression, such as hopelessness, mood swings, and withdrawal. These depressive symptoms may even escalate to thoughts of self-harm and suicide. Many of the issues that confined prisoners have during isolation are also prevalent post-isolation. Those who are isolated also exhibit maladjustment disorders and problems with aggression, both during confinement and afterwards Briggs et al.
Furthermore, inmates often have difficulty adjusting to social contact post-isolation, and may engage in increased prison misconduct and express hostility towards correctional officers. While cases in which inmates have exhibited positive behavioral change after isolation have been documented, such a result is rare Smith, Cognitive effects of solitary confinement.
Some confined inmates report memory loss, and a significant portion of isolated inmates report impaired concentration Smith, ; Shalev, Many are unable to read or watch television since these activities are their few sources of entertainment. Confined inmates also report feeling extremely confused and disoriented in time and space Haney, ; Shalev, Psychosis-related effects of solitary confinement.
Another confinement related psychological symptom that inmates may experience is disrupted thinking, defined as an inability to maintain a coherent flow of thoughts. This disrupted thinking can result in symptoms of psychosis Haney, ; Shalev, Inmates who exhibit these symptoms of psychosis often report experiencing hallucinations, illusions, and intense paranoia, such as a persistent belief that they are being persecuted Shalev, They eat, sleep, and use the toilet in the same area and have limited access to stimuli, such as educational materials.
Solitary confinement cells do not always have windows. The length of time that a person spends in solitary confinement varies greatly.
Some people can spend hours or days in confinement, while others can spend weeks, months, or even years. In extreme cases, people can spend decades in solitary confinement. In , Albert Woodfox reentered society after spending more than 40 years in isolation. A large body of research shows that solitary confinement causes adverse psychological effects and increases the risk of serious harm to individuals who experience it.
According to an article in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law , isolation can be as distressing as physical torture. The rates were similar for those who only spent 1 day in isolation. Humans require social contact. Over time, the stress of being isolated can cause a range of mental health problems.
According to Dr. Sharon Shalev, who authored A Sourcebook on Solitary Confinement in , these problems may include:. Research indicates that both living alone and feelings of loneliness are strongly associated with suicide attempts and suicidal ideation.
Additionally, many individuals who experience confinement become incapable of living around other people. Most studies focus on the psychological effects of solitary confinement. However, psychological trauma and loneliness can also lead to physical health problems.
A lack of physical activity may also make it difficult to manage or prevent certain health conditions, such as diabetes , high blood pressure , and heart disease. A prolonged lack of sunlight can cause a vitamin D deficiency , which can put older adults at risk of fractures and falls. These injuries are among the leading causes of hospitalization and death for older adults.
A paper from the criminal justice journal Federal Probation describes the three types of solitary confinement that U. A report from the United Nations UN found that most countries that use solitary confinement do so as a form of punishment.
However, the actions that prisons and jails punish with isolation vary significantly from place to place. While countries such as Germany only use isolation for serious acts of violence, numerous countries and some U. Sometimes, prisons and jails also use solitary confinement to house people in protective custody who are not safe in other areas of the institution. Some researchers suggest that people in protective custody prefer solitary confinement to being in the general prison population housing because it is safer.
However, they still experience the negative effects of isolation. The practice of placing prisoners in solitary confinement has come under strong criticism from many organizations and individuals.
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