Prison_Reform_20thcentury_Julia_Madison

=toc Solitary Confinement = There has been a call for reform in recent years to eliminate the use of solitary confinement and supermax prisons in the United States because of issues of inhumaness, and the effects that those placed in isolation suffer.

Origins

 * Quakers started the practice of solitary confinement in the **1820's** because they thought total isolation was the best way for prisoners to reflect on their crimes.

The first use of solitary confinement as a punishment can be seen at the Eastern State Penitentiary. Established in 1829 by Quakers, currently it is a museum in Pennsylvania


 * **Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century**- Solitary confinement went out of favor, because prisoners were being put to work instead
 * **1934**- At Alcatraz in California, D- Block and "The Hole" were used to place prisoners in solitary confinement.
 * **1970's**- Prisons become more violent a nd authorities turn to isolation
 * **1972**- In Marion, Illinois, a section of the prison was made into a control unit a s an experiment
 * **1983**- In a single week, two correctional officers were stabbed and an inmate murdered at Marion so the whole facility was put in lockdown. A " supermax" prison was born.
 * **1989**- Pelican Bay in California- first prison built solely for isolation, first true supermax prison
 * **1990's**- dozens of states build supermax prisons. The shift towards the harsher treatment of criminals was a result of an increase in violence in prisons. They felt isolation was the correct way to deal with violent prisoners.
 * **1992**- First supermax prison is built in Massachusetts, the Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU) at Cedar Junction. The facility can house over 100 prisoners and cost the state $16 million.
 * **1994**- ADX Florence is built in Colorado- first federal supermax prison
 * **1995**- The Supreme court case of Madrid vs Gomez declared that solitary confinement at Pelican Bay was not unconstitutional although it "may well hover on the edge of what is humanly tolerable". Also, Supreme Court recognized that solitary confinement can be harmful to those who are mentally ill.

Basic Facts

 * 23 hours a day contained in a cell
 * 1 hour for exercising
 * Extremely limited hum an contact and visitors
 * Minimal contact with staff
 * Solitary confinement is in nearly all maximum security prisons
 * ** More than 80,000  Americans are currently placed in solitary confinement **

Reasons to be Placed in Isolation

 * Violent acts within prison
 * Violating prison rules
 * Control prison gangs
 * Keep other prisoners safe
 * Protect an inmate who may be mistreated by general prison population
 * Provides discipline and punishment for the inmate

Effects of Solitary Confinement
Isolation can produce a range of effects for different prisoners. The symptoms of isolation are similar to those that are seen in prisoners of war, shipwreck victims, bedridden patients, long-distance truck drivers, and researchers in Antarctica.


 * Previously sane people can turn psychotic, while problems of the mentally ill increase.
 * Paranoia and panic attacks common, along with confusion, delusion , and depression
 * Chances of integrating back into society decrease. The already difficult transition into normal society becomes nearly impossible because of the problems solitary confinement instigated in the prisoner.
 * Self mutilation - Prisoners are known to hurt themselves just so they can feel something
 * Inmates may become suicidal
 * Prisoners may hallucinate
 * After a period of time without human contact, the brain can suffer and become impaired almost as if it has been subjected to a traumatic injury.
 * Brain waves slow down after only a week in solitary confinement. May cause brain abnormalities if in solitary confinement for a long period of time.
 * Eating and sleeping patterns become abnormal because of no sense of time.
 * A person placed in solitary confinement can lose his or her social skills and can have difficulty following conversations and body language since they have not been exposed to social situations
 * Prisoners often completely stop behaving since before the prisoners had been going through life with a purpose and were kept occupied, and when this is taken away, the prisoner just becomes a body. They no longer have purpose, and are just there.
 * Hostility is common and prisoners have unjustifiable anger . They will just break out into a rage for no reason at all. Since they have no happiness or joy in their life, it results in rage.
 * The following two videos are from the Explorer series by National Geographic. They are researching the mental effects of solitary confinement at Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP)
 * If you are interested in viewing more from the series, [|click here].
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Experiments
The University of Wisconsin conducted an experiment with monkeys to determine the effects of isolation. When some monkeys were isolated they "were profoundly disturbed, given to staring blankly and rocking in place for long periods, circling their cages repetitively, and mutilating themselves." When other monkeys were given a fake mother made of cloth they would cling to it, and wanted to be near it. Even if the cloth poked them with a sharp point they would let the sharp poke go away and go back to it. This experiment determined that it is better to be treated badly by someone than to be ignored and have no one. Since humans are descendants of monkeys, when we are isolated we have similar reactions. We need the connections with other humans. When the monkeys were released from isolation, they were disturbed, paranoid, and were not associating with others. They were being unsocial, and were outcasts. Some adjusted, but the majority didn't. Humans released from isolation may have similar effects. This is why many argue that solitary confinement is harmful, because it is extremely difficult to reintegrate into society.

Humans are social animals. Not only do we use a spoken language, but also a body language. We can tell what people are thinking by their facial emotions and their hand gestures. If we are cut off from these connections and signals, we stop using our abilities to connect with and interpret other people. These abilities can be lost if they are not in use, and those placed in solitary confinement may be unable to carry a normal conversation or interpret body language. Proof that humans are social animals can be seen when if a person is walking alone and they meet up with someone else, the two people's strides and arms swaying become synchronized. Gawande believes that "we are equipped by nature to have these connections with people."

Supermax Prisons

 * Cell's furniture made from concrete
 * Has camera  in the cell on all 24 hours of the day
 * Prisoners are in the cell for 23 out of the 24 hours of the day
 * While some prisoners are kept in isolation for days or weeks, many are kept in isolation for years  at a time.
 * Served an "unpalatable food brick" that consists of just the amount of nutrition that is necessary for survival.
 * After time, as a reward for good behavior, inmates can receive a black and white television.
 * There are supermax prisons in over three dozen states  and the federal system also uses supermax prisons.

2. Shower works on timer 3. Small black and white TV showing educational programs (some prisoners only) || || 4. Heavy duty steel door or grate 5. Writing desk 6. Toilet which shuts off if blocked 7. Sink 8. Steel mirror, rather than smash-able glass ||  ||
 * **TYPICAL FACILITIES IN A SUPERMAX PRISON CELL**[[image:http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41635000/gif/_41635132_prison_cell_infog_416.gif width="416" height="262"]] || 1. Typical cell sized 7ft x 12ft (3.5x2m) with small slit window

Audio
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This audio is about kids in the Joliet prison in Illinois spending time in solitary confinement. The kids spend from one to thirty days in solitary confinement. The kids that are in solitary confinement are in there for something serious, like a fight, threat or an assault on a prison guard. The Joliet Prison just wants the kids to learn from what they did, and have the kids think about what they're doing before they do something bad. They want the other kids to be safe, and feel like they are safe. Right now they feel the only way that they can do this is to have solitary confinement to get the dangerous children away from the general public. To learn more, listen to the audio above.

** Call for Reform **
Reform in the new digital age has to use new tactics to convince their audience of solitary confinement's harmful effects. Reform is no longer done by guns and weapons, but by lawsuits, articles, petitions, bills and videos. Various organizations and political leaders have used different tactics to call for reform of the correctional use of solitary confinement and supermax prisons.


 * **America Civil Liberties Union**- ACLU's National Prison Project is devoted to securing prisoner's rights. They believe that solitary confinement is torture and claim that isolation violates the eighth amendment cruel and unusual punishment clause. The ACLU is especially concerned with the harm that isolation can place on young women. In 2008, They filed a lawsuit against the Brownwood State School high security youth prison in Texas on behalf of five different girls with a history of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Attorney Mie Lewis of the ACLU declares that "Throwing children into cold, bare solitary confinement cells is profoundly damaging, especially to children who previously have been abused."


 * **Human Rights Watch** believes that isolation is mentally, physically and psychologically damaging. Jamie Fellner, director of the U.S. branch of Human Rights Watch states that "our research shows that segregation is used far more frequently, for far longer periods of time, and under far harsher conditions than is legitimately needed to manage inmate security." and that "the conditions of isolation are harsh and degrading." She feels that fewer prisoners would have to be sent to isolation if there were better prison conditions and less overpopulation. Human Rights Watch feels that the U.S. correctional facilities need to be reviewed, as America locks up more of its own citizens than any other country.


 * **The Istanbul Statement**- 24 panelists at the International Psychological Trauma Symposium in Istanbul collectively wrote the statement on December 9, 2007 asking the United States to limit the use of solitary confinement to only extreme cases because of its harmful effects. To learn more and read the statement, [|click here.]


 * **Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)**, an organization founded in Texas in 1972 on behalf of prisoners rights, takes a stance that no prisoner deserves to be placed in isolation and long-term solitary confinement should be abolished. They view the punishment as cruel and inhumane. They also believe that the mentally ill must be removed from such situations and prisons should be restructured so that there will be less need for a prisoner to be placed in solitary confinement in the first place. CURE encourages Americans to communicate, advocate, and vote to make sure prison reform is successful.

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 * **The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC**), a Quaker organization, sponsors a program called the STOPMAX campaign which is working towards eliminating solitary confinement and supermax prisons in the United States. They have produced this video to increase awareness of what is occurring inside our prisons.


 * **Governor David Paterson of New York** proposed a bill that mentally ill/disabled prisoners would be put in secure treatment facilities, instead of solitary confinement. The bill was supposed to take effect in 2011, but is now delayed until 2014.


 * **SHaRC, Massachusetts Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition** believes that solitary confinement is a violation of human rights. The system needs to be adjusted and the state is paying too much for prisons. The coalition wants people to call or write to legislatures and sign a petition to prevent Massachusetts from creating or expanding prisons or jails.


 * **The Maine Coalition Against The Abuse of Solitary Confinement** is trying to pass a bill called <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 144%;">" //The Resolve to Reduce the Use and Abuse of Solitary Confinement."// The bill states that solitary confinement should only be used under extreme circumstances. No one who is mentally disabled should be put in solitary confinement, and those who are placed in solitary confinement should have a weekly checkup with a doctor, concerning each prisoner's health. No prisoner is allowed in solitary confinement for more than 45 days, unless there is a hearing discussing why they deserve more time.

Accomplishments of Solitary Confinement Reform Movement
The issue of whether or not solitary confinement is constitutional and obeys the eighth amendment has been debated countless times in both federal and state courts. Not much progress has been made towards eliminating solitary confinement. Maine is working towards consolidating their use of solitary confinement. Less mentally disabled prisoners are placed in confinement. There are still supermax prisons in over three dozen states. Over 80,000 Americans are being held in solitary confinement every day. At the moment, solitary confinement still has a strong hold in American correctional facilities. While many organizations and political leaders are working towards a change, their voices have not been enough.

To view works cited, click here and here.