Posted on 06/04/2012 10:29:30 AM PDT by presidio9
At New York City’s Rikers Island Detention Center, where I worked as a chaplain for 23 years until 2007, the solitary confinement unit was called the “bing.” When I asked a prison captain what the term meant, he explained, “When some prisoners come here, their minds go ‘bing.’ ”
Indeed, when I would make visits, walking cell by cell, I was overwhelmed by the lethargy and depression of the inmates.
The damaging effects of isolation are not unique to Rikers inmates. Decades of studies prove that solitary confinement causes severe and lasting harm.
Dr. Stuart Grassian, a nationally recognized expert, reported perceptual distortions among the common symptoms described by the hundreds of prisoners he evaluated in solitary confinement.
He highlighted this symptom as especially concerning because perceptual distortions, in which objects shrink or appear to “melt,” are more commonly associated with neurological illnesses, especially seizure disorders and brain tumors, than with psychiatric illness alone.
Dr. Craig Haney, professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, found extraordinarily high rates of symptoms of psychological trauma among prisoners held in long-term solitary confinement in his systematic analysis of prisoners held in supermax prison.
More than four out of five of those evaluated suffered from feelings of anxiety and nervousness, headaches and the like, and over half complained of nightmares, heart palpitations and fear of impending nervous breakdowns. Nearly half suffered from hallucinations and a quarter experienced suicidal ideation.
When I worked at Rikers, some prisoners held in solitary experienced this heightened risk of suicide. In fact, responsible inmates were trained to act as Suicide Prevention Aides. Through small glass openings, they monitored the activities of those in isolation cells and reported any self-destructive behavior to the unit officer.
I can imagine the response of some reading confronting these facts: So what? These are convicted criminals. Many are violent offenders. They deserve it.
That’s not how our system is supposed to work. We have prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment.
We value our shared decency and humanity.
I understand the need to maintain order and safety in prison. But holding people in isolation until they are mentally broken is not acceptable. And it’s actually no safer for guards and other inmates.
Over the past three decades, numerous state and federal prisons have made long-term solitary confinement a default management tool, subjecting prisoners to conditions of extreme isolation not as a response to violent behavior but rather as a routine practice for minor rule infractions, and for “their own protection.”
Some prisons consist of nothing but single-cell isolation units. Nationwide, an estimated 80,000 persons are kept in these inhumane conditions, sometimes for months and years on end.
Recently, the number of inmates held in “punitive segregation” at Rikers has increased dramatically; today, more than 900 inmates there are being held in their cells for 23 hours per day.
The widespread imposition of solitary confinement
should trouble everyone. Prisoners with mental health disorders suffer debilitating trauma, and studies indicate that prisoners released directly from solitary confinement to society have significantly higher rates of recidivism.
If all that weren’t bad enough, the cost per inmate of solitary confinement far exceeds other types of imprisonment. Indeed, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn recently announced a proposal to close a notorious supermax facility in order to save over $20 million annually.
A handful of other states have adopted measures to rein in the practice, and their outcomes demonstrate there are more efficient, effective and humane alternatives to solitary confinement. For example, Maine’s corrections commissioner, Joseph Ponte, who ushered in reforms leading to a 70% reduction in Maine’s solitary confinement population in 2011, says that “the more data we’re pulling is showing that what we’re doing now is safer than what we were doing before.”
Mississippi’s prison system also had an infamous segregation unit, referred to as Unit 32. As a result of litigation,
the state transferred many of those inmates to the general prison population.
The number of violent incidents requiring guards to use force to restrain prisoners plummeted. Unit 32 was eventually closed.
Every human being has inherent God-given dignity, a quality that does not disappear behind prison gates. Recognizing that prolonged solitary confinement is a cruel form of punishment, people of faith and conscience must work to abolish this indefensible practice.
I’ve read a lot about this. The author is correct. This is cruel and unusual punishment, and it can drive you quite permanently insane.
Well perhaps they had better act civilized so they don’t end up there. The whole problem with prison is that we can’t send them anywhere worse.
“There comes a time in the history of every people when they become so pathologically soft and tender that they actually side with those elements of their society that harms them; i.e. criminals!”-A Great Historian 1888
They get seperated from the rest of the population because they are violent towards other inmates and/or staff. Its unfortunate that they can’t find a way to stop offending even when locked up.
The credibility of the prisoners is questionable; they’d probably complain and moan about the same symptoms whatever the housing arrangement. Maybe they should try behaving and following the rules for once in their lives.
Hmmmm perhaps one shouldn’t behave in a manner that ends with being thrown into jail
Our whole system of justice at this point is a disaster.
As for the "for their own protection" group why don't we just have a special prison where we send all of these guys? Then they can be with their "peers".
I agree that long term solitary is probably excessive. As a short term punishment, it is probably the only effective deterrent prisons have at their disposal. At supermax prisons, which are supposedly an alternative to capital punishment, who gives a crap? In Norway, where solitary confinement has been found cruel and unusual, they are hiring “friends” to keep Anders Breivik company. That is the road you are on.
Prisons are not simply a place to warehouse criminals. They are also intended to be punishment, and therefore at least a little bit unpleasant.
The author doesn’t distinguish between the mental condition of the prisoner before and after solitary confinement.
Secondly, there are usually reasons why a prisoner is sent to solitary confinement. Violent behavior and a danger to the rest of the prison population are usually good reasons to separate a prisoner.
Finally, there HAS to be motivating punishments in prison to reduce bad behavior. Eliminate the punishments...eliminate the reasons for good behavior.
It might be moderately cruel, but it is not unusual punishment. However, solitary confinement is necessary.
Did you even read the post?
Quoting:
Over the past three decades, numerous state and federal prisons have made long-term solitary confinement a default management tool, subjecting prisoners to conditions of extreme isolation not as a response to violent behavior but rather as a routine practice for minor rule infractions, and for “their own protection.”
This is a horrible thing to do to another human, especially for minor infractions that do not involve violence.
Send them to Spanish Prisons. I talked to the Colonel in charge of the Puerto Santa Maria Prison during my tour in Spain. He could not recall one person whom returned for a second time.
Send them to Spanish Prisons. I talked to the Colonel in charge of the Puerto Santa Maria Prison during my tour in Spain. He could not recall one person whom returned for a second time.
I don’t believe in rehabilitating prisoners.
Prisoners are there to be punished.
The prisons should be uncomfortable.
The prisoners should be made to work and pay for their incarceration, and maybe even make a profit.
The meals should be boring, almost no variety.
The people who make dog food should make prison chow.
No soda pop, no cigarettes or beverages of any kind other than water.
There should be no TV, no Radio, no books, magazines or newspapers.
Prison should be a place that scares the crud out of someone and makes them want to never return.
We could always outsource prisons. French Guianna has Devils Island of Papillon fame. They actually improve the manners of the inmates, even having a special “silent” unit where they can contemplate and reflect (on the cockroaches).
Firing squad is neither unusual nor cruel as long as the shots find their mark.
Alternatively, I would support lethal injection over solitary confinement.
Disclaimer: My position is based on the assumptions that the worst violent offenders that have no chance of paroll are the subjects of this article. Temporary solitary confinement is reserved for bad behavior within the system (as I understand it).
I'd rather put a bullet in their head, but that also leads to some permanent issues. I think the author does have a valid point because my thoughts immediately went to, "so what?". My "give a damn-meter" pegged out empty after one of them punched a nurse in the face knocking her out and then was pumping his arms up and down like a champ. Haldol, pavulon and a ventilator made him see the error of his ways. I don't fight violent criminals in the ER. That 's why God invented depolarizing agents and ventilators.
This incident among others like these made fairly hard hearted and decide that if people like this want to defend violent criminals, let them live with you. They come anywhere near me, I'm pulling a trigger till they stop.
In reality I'm more concerned about my dog pooping in my back yard than violent criminals. We should make 4x6 individual cells, with a cot that can be folded up, two buckets (one for water the other for a toilet) and 3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for meals. On their birthday get them a Ding-Dong and on Christmas a peppermint candy cane. Otherwise just lock them up, they made the decision to commit crimes now reap what they sow.
I think they should be made to listen to Rush Limbaugh for 3 hours a day. The rest of the time they can be made to listen to Barry Manilow records.
From a song in the 80’s: “Is it really such a crime for man to do his time?”
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