Solitary Confinement Essay
This paper explores the characteristics, and medical concerns of isolation in regards to solitary confinement. Solitary confinement in the United States has been an integrated part of the penitentiary system for over 200 years. In solitary cells, there are significant issues from both a medical and legal standpoint. This paper examines Cloud et al. (2015) article in relation to other research articles to suggest that all solitary confinement in prisons undermines public health and safety and should be study for a better understanding of severe causes and lasting mental health consequences. These conditions and characteristics are unhealthy, stressful and traumatizing. There are inmates that live under these conditions for years with minimal
…show more content…
human interaction and with no opportunities to transition into the general prison population properly leading to further negative outcomes.
Solitary Confinement Unhealthy and Traumatizing
Numerous studies have been conducted on the characteristics of confinement, human rights concerns, psychological detriments, focusing on the purposes of isolation in regards to solitary confinement. However, conflicting results within this article suggested that rules of solitary completely undermine the roles of public health workers whose core purpose and obligations are to protect, serve and prevent morbidity and mortality to the utmost of their ability. Furthermore, the segregation of prisoners has proved to have had detrimental effects mentally, physically and psychologically been traumatic and harmful which questions the ethical basis of those whose duty it is to prevent harm.
Federally and up to 40% of the states in the U.S.
currently have laws in place that allow prisons to permanently confine inmates in solitary. One of the main issues with the use of segregation in the prison system is that only small amounts of people that have to go into isolation actually need to be there; by that, only small groups of prisoners actually pose a significant safety risk to the general prison population and staff. Amongst the demographic of prisoners that are placed in a confinement unit some are for minor transgressions, i.e.: insolence, failing to do what they were asked or refusals to do something. In contrast to possessing, an excess quantity of postage stamps (Cloud et al., 2015). Others placed in confinement due to infectious diseases, sexual orientation, pregnancy, mental illness, developmentally challenged, age, or those that are deemed by the correctional facility to be sexually vulnerable. Interesting to note, there are many regulations that must be followed by each …show more content…
prisoner.
However, there is an extreme lack of quality in treatment of individuals with mental disorders or psychiatric conditions. In further support of this finding, Haney (2003) reported that a staggering one third of prisoners that must go into solitary confinement have pre-existing psychological issues or conditions. Due to the media attention and lawsuits advocating the better treatment of prisoners in these regards, the Bureau of Prisons agreed that an independent study and assessment of the use of solitary confinement could be done.
Solitary confinement is found to challenge our nation’s ideals of safety and public health in that it is a distressing, shocking, and disturbing component of mass incarceration; as well as a form of torture that violates human rights and the eighth amendment of the United States of America, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
The impact of this research to occupational therapy is the same for any other public health worker of the prison system, under such dire conditions staff or prisoners cannot reach maximum benefit or aid predominantly due to the demoralizing and psychologically damaging aspect of solitary confinement. Drastic changes would need to be set in place in order to have a functional use of therapies in occupational and physical regards. In addition, public health researchers can use their expertise and methods in the service of committees commissioned by legislatures to study the impacts of solitary confinement or to explore alternative housing policies (as cited in Cloud et al.,
2015).
Many choose to remain subjective on the topic in the generalization that all or many prisoners deserve to be treated with less regard due to their “inhumane” nature. However, in the legal, public health and safety sense observance of the constitution and moral ethics must be maintained no matter the system and as objectively as possible per public duty.
human interaction and with no opportunities to transition into the general prison population properly leading to further negative outcomes.
Solitary Confinement Unhealthy and Traumatizing
Numerous studies have been conducted on the characteristics of confinement, human rights concerns, psychological detriments, focusing on the purposes of isolation in regards to solitary confinement. However, conflicting results within this article suggested that rules of solitary completely undermine the roles of public health workers whose core purpose and obligations are to protect, serve and prevent morbidity and mortality to the utmost of their ability. Furthermore, the segregation of prisoners has proved to have had detrimental effects mentally, physically and psychologically been traumatic and harmful which questions the ethical basis of those whose duty it is to prevent harm.
Federally and up to 40% of the states in the U.S.
currently have laws in place that allow prisons to permanently confine inmates in solitary. One of the main issues with the use of segregation in the prison system is that only small amounts of people that have to go into isolation actually need to be there; by that, only small groups of prisoners actually pose a significant safety risk to the general prison population and staff. Amongst the demographic of prisoners that are placed in a confinement unit some are for minor transgressions, i.e.: insolence, failing to do what they were asked or refusals to do something. In contrast to possessing, an excess quantity of postage stamps (Cloud et al., 2015). Others placed in confinement due to infectious diseases, sexual orientation, pregnancy, mental illness, developmentally challenged, age, or those that are deemed by the correctional facility to be sexually vulnerable. Interesting to note, there are many regulations that must be followed by each …show more content…
prisoner.
However, there is an extreme lack of quality in treatment of individuals with mental disorders or psychiatric conditions. In further support of this finding, Haney (2003) reported that a staggering one third of prisoners that must go into solitary confinement have pre-existing psychological issues or conditions. Due to the media attention and lawsuits advocating the better treatment of prisoners in these regards, the Bureau of Prisons agreed that an independent study and assessment of the use of solitary confinement could be done.
Solitary confinement is found to challenge our nation’s ideals of safety and public health in that it is a distressing, shocking, and disturbing component of mass incarceration; as well as a form of torture that violates human rights and the eighth amendment of the United States of America, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
The impact of this research to occupational therapy is the same for any other public health worker of the prison system, under such dire conditions staff or prisoners cannot reach maximum benefit or aid predominantly due to the demoralizing and psychologically damaging aspect of solitary confinement. Drastic changes would need to be set in place in order to have a functional use of therapies in occupational and physical regards. In addition, public health researchers can use their expertise and methods in the service of committees commissioned by legislatures to study the impacts of solitary confinement or to explore alternative housing policies (as cited in Cloud et al.,
2015).
Many choose to remain subjective on the topic in the generalization that all or many prisoners deserve to be treated with less regard due to their “inhumane” nature. However, in the legal, public health and safety sense observance of the constitution and moral ethics must be maintained no matter the system and as objectively as possible per public duty.