Questioning solitary confinement

• Published in: Corrections Today Vol. 79; no. 5; p. 18
• Main Authors: Morgan, Robert D, Labrecque, Ryan M, Gendreau, Paul, Ramler, Taylor R, Olafsson, Brieann
• Format: Trade Publication Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lanham American Correctional Association, Incorporated 01.09.2017
• Subjects: Behavior; Criminology; Imprisonment; Mental disorders; Prisoners; Prisons; Recidivism; Solitary confinement; Studies; United States > US
• ISSN: 0190-2563; 2163-2200

By far, the greatest area of concern involves its purported negative physiological and psychological effects.6 Numerous reports suggest that AS causes myriad negative mental health problems.7 Also, it is widely believed that offenders with pre-existing mental illnesses are at an increased risk for suffering the deleterious effects of such placement.8 Further, it is commonly accepted that inmates who return directly to the community from AS have poorer postrelease outcomes than those who are transitioned from the general prison population.9 The collection of studies that are used to support these claims, however, do not paint a complete picture of the effects of AS.10 It is noted, for example, that the majority of the AS research investigating psychological outcomes consists of case studies of small, non-random or extreme samples of inmates and do not include pre-AS baseline functioning or appropriate comparison groups." According to this inmate, incarcerated individuals are generally adept at serving time in correctional facilities prior to their AS placement. [...]in the only empirical investigation to date that examines AS commitments greater than one year in duration, one article found that inmates segregated between one and four years evidenced increased symptoms of depression compared to their non-segregated peers; however, scores remained in the sub-clinical range for both groups of inmates.22 Further, inmates in long-term AS did not demonstrate a worsening of psychological symptoms as time in restrictive housing increased. [...]although disciplinary segregation may be necessary as a form of behavioral management, we discourage the use of AS with indeterminate placement periods for juveniles except in extreme and rare circumstances.