Sasha Abramsky's Return Of The Madhouse

Isolation and abuse are everything occurrences inside of a supermax prison. Each prisoner is forced to live in their own thoughts and cannot enrich themselves. People often have a difficult time imagining what it like to be inside of a supermax. Complete solitude is an extremely difficult situation to deal with. In Sasha Abramsky’s Return of the Madhouse, she discusses the treatment of the prisoners inside the supermax prisons all across the country. Supermax prisons were created for a reason; however, the techniques used are not always effective and can lead to the destruction of the prisoners.

Supermax model prisons were created in the late 1970s in response to a widespread pattern of prison violence. After “dozens of guards around the country…were murdered by prisoners” (Abramsky, 421), people knew that something had to change. They were developed so the prisoners had limited contact with other inmates and prison authorities. Later

they eventually “took to ‘locking down’ entire prisons for indefinite periods, keeping inmates in their cells all day and closing down communal dining rooms and exercise yards” (Abramsky, 421). After exploring the possibilities of a safer environment for the overall population of the prison, the supermax prisons were created. They were a place to house the most dangerous criminals. Gang leaders, murderers and sociopaths became the most populated groups in the supermax prisons. The government later began creating the supermax prisons in the late 1980s. The overall goal of the supermax was to keep the staff safe and the prisoners safe as well. While the inmates were isolated, they would be able to clear their thoughts and reflect on their actions. However, this concept of isolation eventually drives people to their own insanity.
Supermax prisons, in theory, seem like they would work efficiently and would help the prisoners cope with what they have done in their past. Humans need human contact in order to survive. It is very unhealthy for a human being to be put in isolation for long periods of time. Stuart Grassian, a psychiatrist from Harvard University explains that “sensory deprivation in a supermax frequently leads otherwise healthy individuals to develop extreme manifestations of psychosis, such as hallucinations, uncontrollable rage, paranoia, and nearly catatonic depressions” (Abramsky, 423). When people enter the supermax, they can be relatively mentally stable. However, some often enter the prison with a previous mental disorder. The supermax ends up doing the opposite of what it is supposed to doing. It drives people to madness and does not help their previous record. Supermax prisons do more harm than good, which leads them to become invalid.
The treatment of the inmates inside of the supermax prisons is downright inhumane.

Prisoners are put inside of the supermax for a reason; however, no human deserves the abuse that goes on behind prison walls. Lack of human contact, sunlight and food also contributes to the abuse. U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson discusses how the Eighth Amendment is violated on many occasions. It has led to a pattern of brutality against the inmates. He later describes “the severe beatings then common at the facility, the third-degree burns inflicted on one mentally ill inmate who was thrown into boiling water after he smeared himself with feces, and the routine use of painful restraining weapons against others” (Abramsky, 420). Guards will use excessive force to control the inmates. This often leads to injuries and death. Between the inmates becoming almost completely isolated from the outside world and the brutality from prison staff, the treatment is extremely unfair. Not even the worst of criminals deserve that kind of

punishment.
Supermax prisons in theory seemed like a wonderful idea. The inmates would be isolated away from the rest of the world and could be given time to reflect on their lives. Inmates would be kept safe and prison guards would also be kept from harm. However, they ended up being more harmful than ever imaginable. Brutality, lack of food and sunlight, sensory deprivation and isolation all become factors for mental illness. Prisoners that go in never come out the same. Instead of them leaving with a perfect bill of health they go back out into the world with more illnesses than they had going in. Not only are supermax prisons inhumane, they bleed into society and create dangerous people.