The Hole

The Hole

Veronica Cavazos

South Texas College

Nelson Mandela claims that, “He found solitary confinement the most forbidding aspect of prison life. There is no end and no beginning; there is only one’s mind, which can begin to play tricks. Was that a dream or did it really happen? One begins to question everything.” Just imagining to be inside of four walls, with no one to talk to or something to do already gives people anxiety. The rate of prisoners in solitary confinement has been growing from the past years in a large amount. Solitary confinement in jails is a severe punishment used throughout history and has not resulted as a good method to rehabilitate offenders and change their behavior.

When society hears solitary confinement they relate it to the correctional history. Solitary confinement in jails is a maximum-security cell where the inmates live. It is a cell smaller than a parking space, with only a metallic door with a slot for a food tray, and almost no light. The prisoners spend 22 to 24 hours a day in the cell, no visitation, no activities, and limited contact with others. They are only allowed to leave the cell five hours a week to exercise and have limited baths of two or three 15 minutes showers a week ( Schlanger & Fettig, 2015, p.35). It is a method where they have prisoners in isolation of the population, away from unhealthy people that will influence on them. In the nineteenth century solitary confinement was used as a rehabilitative philosophy, but throughout the years it is now used as a measurement to control dangerous inmates and protect vulnerable populations.

The Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution declares what type of prisoners and how much time they should be placed in solitary confinement. It prohibits cruel and unusual punishments to prisoners. The Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause expresses that “prison officials provide prisoners due process of law prior to placing them in significantly harsher conditions than confinement in the general prison population,” and dictates that the government cannot “physically punish and individual except in accordance with due process of law” ( SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND RECIDIVISM.

Gordon, S. E. (2013). SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND RECIDIVISM. University Of Michigan Journal Of Law Reform, 47(2), 495-528). That means that the inmates currently in solitary confinement have the right of their process to keep on going and not stopping it. The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and prison conditions may not deprive inmates of the minimal civilized measures of life necessities such as food, warmth, and exercise. It also states that solitary can not be used for the crimes that are committed previous to conviction (SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND RECIDIVISM.Gordon, S. E. (2013). SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND RECIDIVISM. University Of Michigan Journal Of Law Reform, 47(2), 495-528).Solitary confinement is restricted to mentally ill inmates.              

Solitary confinement is essential to the safety of other inmates, limiting the prisoners violence. It helps the officers control the disruptive or dangerous inmates. It is also used as a form of protective custody to the vulnerable inmates like the homosexuals, mentally ill, sex offenders, and more of possible threats. Sometimes it is necessary to maintain control of the inmates and make them realize that this is punishment that they are going to have if they do something bad. On the other side, it is an ineffective therapeutic tool because the isolation and reduced social environment stimulation makes them anxious. The inmates can suffer mental deterioration and physical health because most of the time they are sitting down and have no movement. They have need of the sun providing them vitamin D once in awhile to avoid depression, to develop cancer, can get anemia or can have panic attacks caused by the isolation. The prisoners lose their freedom and can cause them mental health problems like anxiety, insomnia, and paranoia. Solitary confinement does not have the purpose of rehabilitating inmates, because being lockdown so long when prisoner are released to society they are scared of their behavior around people.

There are different terms of solitary confinement depending of the situation of conviction. Protective custody is when an inmate is held from their own protection, discouraging other prisoner from reporting threats when they are in risk. The disciplinary segregation is when an inmate breaks a rule. For example, when they steal a cellmates’ radio, when they talk back to an officer, and more minor aspects. They are locked down in isolation for a week or two. It has the purpose as a brief removal from the population to punish a prisoner for a minor infraction. Another term is administrative segregation, when a prisoner is a risk for the safety of other inmates or the prison staff. They are in isolation for months or years and it is for the safety or security of the jail. Finally, the juvenile solitary confinement is when children are charged as adults and are incarcerated in a youth or adult jail. It is an unnecessary method and really harmful for a youth. When the teenagers are in solitary confinement they are often denied of access of psychological care, educational programs, and recreation or  physical activities. The youth would not develop healthy because they are in their development and it will be difficult to know their social identity. This is a way of punishment for disobedient youth, but it can cause them mental health problems, depression and even suicide.

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