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Solitary confinement analysis
How does isolation affect ones behavior
How does isolation affect ones behavior
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When dealing with troubled youth and choosing proper treatments and consequences for offensive and anti-social behaviors, the individual in question is carefully considered. Will this punishment prevent future anti-social behavior? Is this treatment in the best interest of the child? What is the primary risk factor that will re-expose this child to future contact with the juvenile justice system? These questions, once a treatment plan is decided, cease to resurface. In fact, once a minor is taken into state custody, the state then has complete parental rights and can implement a harsh penalty for violating rules: solitary confinement. The use of solitary confinement has been widely overlooked and accepted due to the invisible nature of …show more content…
harm that is caused and the inability to provide effective alternatives to this punishment. Problem Statement This paper examines the effect of solitary confinement on juveniles, its correlation with repeat offenders, as well as possible alternatives o this use of punishment. Literature “When a juvenile is placed in an adult facility, the use of solitary confinement may be used as a punishment for violating rules that have been designed to manage adult prisoners, and children are far more vulnerable to the negative effects of isolation than adults are.” (ACLU Foundation, 2014) Because a person’s brain is not fully developed until the age of 25, the juveniles are at highest risk of psychological harm when development and social stimulation are impeded. (ACLU Foundation, 2014) One of the major arguments used to support the need for solitary confinement states that it is imperative for safety, yet the numbers tell a different story. More than 50% of all suicides in juvenile facilities occur during isolation. (ACLU Foundation, 2014) Psychological harm, including but not limited to depression and anxiety, as well as physical harm due to lack of proper nutrients and exercise will follow the juvenile throughout his or her lifetime. The effects above are damming not only to the individuals well-being while serving their time incarcerated, but also to an individual’s possibility of future rehabilitation.
When the justice system decides that a person must spend time incarcerated for a crime, the possibility of rehabilitation is considered and has an effect on the sentencing judge. However, after the juvenile is sentenced is when the real test is administered. Taking away a person’s sense of self, human contact, and any piece of dignity they may have had stepping into that cell drastically reduces their chances at rehabilitation. “Well designed, community based programs are more likely than institutional confinement to reduce recidivism and facilitate healthy social and moral development for most young offenders” (National Research Council of the National Academies of Science, 2012) Studies have shown the rates for recidivism amongst those held in solitary confinement are drastically higher than those not exposed to this form of punishment. One study in particular came to the staggering conclusion that “ Almost all of the offenders who participated in administrative segregation were rearrested within three years after discharging from prison whereas two thirds of the inmates who did not participate were rearrested.” (Connecticut General Assembly, 2001) In order to reduce these rates and reduce the harm being placed upon youth while in solitary confinement we need to create functional alternative …show more content…
programs that focus on rehabilitation, strengthening community ties, and sharpening valuable skills. “Cost-effective program options, known as “community-based alternatives,” have already been developed and tested that serve youth safely in the community instead of incarcerating them in jail-like facilities.” (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange Community-Based Alternatives, 2015) Along with community, focus on skill sets and social skills benefit these youth considerably. Story-catchers Theatre’s Programs for Detained and Incarcerated Youth is another alternative quite opposite of solitary confinement. This program teaches youth theatre skills, as well as encourages their artistic talents. “Through the Story-catchers process, youth residents have gained considerable insight into their issues and acquired new skill sets with which to meet their individual challenges.” (National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards Storycatchers Theatre’s Programs for Detained and Incarcerated Youth, 2013) There is a wide world of options available for alternatives to solitary confinement, the focus now needs to be on promoting and funding these programs. Evaluation Many factors contribute to a youth’s run-in with the justice system “spider-web”, including weak social bonds, anti-social personality disorder, and economic disparity, to name a few. A juvenile who has been subjected to solitary confinement for any extended period of time has been psychologically damaged in all the areas that would facilitate meaningful relationships and skill sets needed to become a productive member of society. As a youth sits in confinement, minutes, hours, and days are wasted staring at walls, daydreaming, and reliving the past. As the state of mind deteriorates for this individual, so do any skill sets and knowledge that individual may have possessed. As a result of the loss of these skills, the individual will find increased difficulty in personal relationships and acquiring a job upon re-entering society. This, in turn, is a direct burden to the community. Many programs have been developed as alternatives to solitary confinement, however, these programs are not readily available in every state. Conclusion After gathering the evidence and piecing the studies together, one can clearly conclude that the use of solitary confinement for juveniles is long overdue for a major reform.
We are blatantly damaging our youth in a permanent fashion by ignoring the invisible damage that occurs when this method is overused or used arbitrarily. Juvenile facilities should be mandated to keep vigilant records and data on the use of solitary confinement for their residents. Furthermore, the use of solitary confinement should be used only in emergency situations and should carry a maximum time limit such as twenty four to forty eight hours. To reduce recidivism, alternative methods should be used that help rehabilitate youth and strengthen skills and self-sufficiency. These programs exist but are in dire need of promotion and funding. If more attention was focused on these positive aspects of corrections these programs could grow and be made available for every state. However, in order for the issue of solitary confinement to be resolved, society must first have a clear view of this invisible abuse, and second, we must speak up and be
heard.
When envisioning a prison, one often conceptualizes a grisly scene of hardened rapists and murderers wandering aimlessly down the darkened halls of Alcatraz, as opposed to a pleasant facility catering to the needs of troubled souls. Prisons have long been a source of punishment for inmates in America and the debate continues as to whether or not an overhaul of the US prison system should occur. Such an overhaul would readjust the focuses of prison to rehabilitation and incarceration of inmates instead of the current focuses of punishment and incarceration. Altering the goal of the entire state and federal prison system for the purpose of rehabilitation is an unrealistic objective, however. Rehabilitation should not be the main purpose of prison because there are outlying factors that negatively affect the success of rehabilitation programs and such programs would be too costly for prisons currently struggling to accommodate additional inmate needs.
Yet, solitary confinement is still considered necessary in order to maintain control within the prison and among inmates. Solitary confinement is seen as an effective method in protecting specific prisoners and altering violent/aggressive disobedient behaviors, (Maria A. Luise, Solitary Confinement: Legal and Psychological Considerations, 15 New Eng. J. on Crim. & Civ. Confinement 301, 324 (1989) p. 301). There is some discrepancy among researchers as to the varying effects on inmates who have undergone an extensive solitary confinement stay. Most researchers find that inmates who had no previous form of mental illness suffer far less than those who do, yet most if not all of these individuals still experience some difficulties with concentration and memory, agitation, irritability, and will have issues tolerating external stimuli, (Stuart Grassian, Psychiatric Effects of Solitary Confinement, 22 Wash. U. J. L. & Pol’y 325 (2006) p. 332). Although these detrimental psychiatric repercussions of solitary confinement currently appear, several researches have made suggestions as to how these may be avoided. These requirements being that
Isolation may help a juvenile come into conclusion about why they are justified to being in prison. From personal experience I have observed how someone that I know has been conducted to jail for a short period of time they automatically regret their actions and decisions. A real life story about a juvenile’s isolation made him recognized the crime he committed is Greg Ousley. Scott Anderson, author of the New York Times article “Greg Ousley Is Sorry for Killing His Parents. Is that Enough?”declares that Greg feels guilty after being in jail for so many years and many revelations have been exposed to him. Even though a murder might have finally rehabilitated, our systems should still protect our state and community by keeping them behind bars because you never know when another episode or attack can be
Since the early 1800s, the United States has relied on a method of punishment barely known to any other country, solitary confinement (Cole). Despite this method once being thought of as the breakthrough in the prison system, history has proved differently. Solitary confinement was once used in a short period of time to fix a prisoners behavior, but is now used as a long term method that shows to prove absolutely nothing. Spending 22-24 hours a day in a small room containing practically nothing has proved to fix nothing in a person except further insanity. One cannot rid himself of insanity in a room that causes them to go insane. Solitary confinement is a flawed and unnecessary method of punishment that should be prohibited in the prison system.
...t in solitary confinement because they cannot handle the isolation. When a human being is confined to a small, windowless room in complete isolation from other human beings, the results can only be negative. Communication is key to survival, people feed off of each other to survive. Furthermore, when a human being is deprived of communication and is forced to be alone, it is an unknown experience to them. Nothing in life can prepare someone for this sick excuse of a punishment- the degree of isolation that one is expected to endure in solitary confinement is inhumane. Young people are a lot more vulnerable than adults; therefore the physical and mental effects of isolation take a greater toll on adolescents than on adults. It is not only unlawful but also implacable to place any human being, much less an adolescent, through such a ruthless form of ‘discipline’.
Prisons and correctional facilities in the United States have changed from rehabilitating people to housing inmates and creating breeding grounds for more violence. Many local, state, and federal prisons and correctional facilities are becoming more and more overcrowded each year. If the Department of Corrections (DOC) wants to stop having repeat offenders and decrease the volume of inmates entering the criminal justice system, current regulations and programs need to undergo alteration. Actions pushed by attorneys and judges, in conjunction current prison life (including solitary confinement), have intertwined to result in mass incarceration. However, prisoner reentry programs haven’t fully impacted positively to help the inmate assimilate back into society. These alterations can help save the Department of Corrections (DOC) money, decrease the inmate population, and most of all, help rehabilitate them. After inmates are charged with a crime, they go through the judicial system (Due Process) and meet with the prosecutor to discuss sentencing.
The past two decades have engendered a very serious and historic shift in the utilization of confinement within the United States. In 1980, there were less than five hundred thousand people confined in the nation’s prisons and jails. Today we have approximately two million and the numbers are still elevating. We are spending over thirty five billion annually on corrections while many other regime accommodations for education, health
Thousands of people statewide are in prisons, all for different reasons. However, the amount of mental illness within prisons seems to go unaddressed and ignored throughout the country. This is a serious problem, and the therapy/rehabilitation that prison systems have do not always help those who are mentally ill. Prison involvement itself can contribute to increased suicide (Hills, Holly). One ‘therapy’ that has increased throughout the years has been the use of solitary confinement, which has many negative effects on the inmates.
In 1899, the nation’s first juvenile court for youth under the age of 16 was established in Chicago to provide rehabilitation rather than punishment. By 1925, following the Chicago model, all but two states had juvenile courts whose goals were to turn youth into productive citizens utilizing treatment that included warnings, probation, and training school confinement(Cox et al. 2014, p.2). Treatment lasted until the child was “cured” or turned 21. Although judges spoke with the offending children and decided upon the punishment, the lack of established rules and poor rehabilitation led to unfair treatment. In 1967 “ U.S. Supreme Court case of In re Gault held that juveniles were entitled to the same constitutional due process rights as adults, beginning a national reform in juvenile justice and the system was repaired to afford children many of the same rights that adults have in court” (Cox et al. 2014, p.4). Also, state legislatures passed laws to crack down on juvenile crime, as recently, states have attempted strike a balance in their approach to juvenile justice systems as research suggests that locking youth away in large, secure juvenile facilities is ineffective treatment towards different genders in which it doesn’t provide appropriate rehabilitation.
A deep look into juveniles in adult prisons. Touch bases on several smaller issues that contribute to juveniles being in and effects of adult prisons. The United States Bureau of Prisons handles two hundred and thirty-nine juveniles and their average age is seventeen. Execution of juveniles, The United States is one of only six countries to execute juveniles. There are sixty-eight juveniles sitting on death row for crimes committed as juveniles. Forty-three of those inmates are minorities. People, who are too young to vote, drink alcohol, or drive are held to the same standard of responsibility as adults. In prisons, they argue that the juveniles become targets of older, more hardened criminals. Brian Stevenson, Director of the Alabama Capital Resource Center said, “We have totally given up in the idea of reform of rehabilitation for the very young. We are basically saying we will throw those kids away. Leading To Prison Juvenile Justice Bulletin Report shows that two-thirds of juveniles apprehended for violent offenses were released or put on probation. Only slightly more than one-third of youths charged with homicide was transferred to adult criminal court. Little more than one out of every one hundred New York youths arrested for muggings, beatings, rape and murder ended up in a correctional institution. Another report showed a delinquent boy has to be arrested on average thirteen times before the court will act more restrictive than probation. Laws began changing as early as 1978 in New York to try juveniles over 12 who commit violent crimes as adults did. However, even since the laws changed only twenty percent of serious offenders served any time. The decision of whether to waive a juven...
The goals of juvenile corrections are too deter, rehabilitate and reintegrate, prevent, punish and reattribute, as well as isolate and control youth offenders and offenses. Each different goal comes with its own challenges. The goal of deterrence has its limits; because rules and former sanctions, as well anti-criminal modeling and reinforcement are met with young rebellious minds. Traditional counseling and diversion which are integral aspects of community corrections can sometimes be ineffective, and studies have shown that sometimes a natural self intervention can take place as the youth grows older; resulting in the youth outgrowing delinquency.
Introduction: Recidivism or, habitual relapses into crime, has time and time again proven to be an issue among delinquents, which thereby increases the overall juvenile prison population. This issue has become more prevalent than what we realize. Unless a unit for measuring a juvenile’s risk of recidivism is enacted and used to determine a system to promote effective prevention, than the juvenile prison population will continue to increase. Our court system should not only focus on punishing the said juvenile but also enforce a program or policy that will allow for prevention of recidivism. So the question remains, how can recidivism in the juvenile prison population be prevented so that it is no longer the central cause for increased juvenile delinquency? Simply put, we must create a means of measuring juvenile’s level of risk and in turn, form an effective rehabilitation program that will decrease their risk level for future recidivism.
Solitary confinement has been a practice that has taken place in the United State Prisons for a very long time. How effective it has been as a form of punishment and a rehabilitation measure has been the primary concern. The research is based on the history of solitary confinement and the purpose it was intended to serve. It as well serves to find out if this purpose has been well covered and what have been the results and has it been effective in serving the purpose.
One of the most important recommendations made by Feld is returning to the rehabilitative premise of juvenile courts. The juvenile court system was originally created to emphasize rehabilitation as opposed to punishment. In addition, the courts were meant to provide a way of protecting children from the harshness of the adult court, which emphasized obtaining guilt and punishing the individual (Hickey, 2010). The dichotomies of “treatment-punishment” and “child-adult” have been skewed and have resulted in a ch...
As time passes our juvenile justice system changes we are tending to focus on punishment rather than in rehabilitation. In the book Sister Janet was one of the few people that believed that the juveniles deserve to be treated normal and received positive s...