Solitary Confinement Essay

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Imagine being locked in a cell that is only six by eight feet, contains only a sink, toilet, and bed for 23 hours a day with minimal human contact. Oh, and with that extra twenty-fourth hour, you could work out inside a cage. Believe it or not, this is exactly what over 80,000 people in the United States endure due to being locked away in solitary confinement. Solitary confinement in the United States is an issue that does not gain much attention due to the lack of education on the topic. The use of solitary confinement in the United States needs to drop tremendously due to the harm that it causes to the inmates, the cruel reasons people have been placed within these cells, and because of the financial burden it creates. Unarguably one of …show more content…

The results are even more detrimental for those who previously have been diagnosed with mental disorders. Sadly, it was estimated by a 2003 report by Human Rights Watch that two thirds of those placed in segregated housing have a mental disorder of some sort. This raises so many more issue. As you can imagine, having a mental impairment can make it extremely difficult to function properly in a prison setting. The second they make a mistake or act out of the ordinary, they get thrown into isolation. As a result, their conditions only get worse. Those who have conditions that need assistance and medication are ignored and they do not receive the proper attention that they need in order to control their conditions. “It is not unusual for prisoners in solitary confinement to compulsively cut their flesh, repeatedly smash their heads against walls, swallow razors and other harmful objects, or attempt to hang themselves” (American Civil Liberties Union). It is obvious that solitary confinement does nothing but cause those who have a mental disorder to get even worse and out of control. It is unethical and has been ruled by federal court that placing the mentally ill in conditions such as these is cruel and unusual punishment according to the United States Constitution. This needs to come to an

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