Solitary Confinement Research Paper

As shown in my primary research, 100% of the people surveyed believed that solitary confinement causes mental health issues. But many others would completely disagree and argue that solitary confinement does not mental health issues. This belief has been debunked by research time and time again. In “The Ethics of Total Confinement: A Critique of Madness, Citizenship, and Social Justice” written by Bruce Arrigo, Heather Bersot, and Brain Sellers, it is cited that research proves that “isolation of varying types and durations negatively impacts the mental health of incarcerates with no known psychiatric disorders. However, the effects of placing inmates with pre- existing mental health conditions in solitary confinement--- particularly in extreme

Similarly, 70% of the inmates in the California correctional system who committed suicide over a 1-year period were those confined to long- term solitary isolation. (Mears 2006).” (Arrigo 67). There have been plenty of research studies done on the effects of solitary confinement. Many have proven that solitary confinement causes emotional, psychological, and physical damage. In the article “What Does Solitary Confinement Do Too Your Mind”, written by Jason Breslow, he talks about a study done by Harry Harlow at the University of Wisconsin. During the study Harlow placed monkeys in an inverted pyramid shaped chamber (nicknamed the pit of despair’). This pyramid had slippery sides to prevent the monkeys from climbing up the sides of the walls. After only two days Harlow wrote “most subjects typically assume a hunched position in a corner of the bottom of the apparatus. One might presume at this point that they find their situation to be hopeless.” The article also says

This belief was held by few of college students. As mentioned earlier, college students were asked “Do you believe that solitary confinement is torture?”, only 22.22% disagreed. One student said that they voted for “no” because “some people just need to be alone”. Which isn’t a good enough reason. One student said they believed that solitary confinement was a justified punishment because “some criminals deserve harsher punishment.” This statement is very true. But here are other ways to go about punishing prisoners. Anything that causes that much mental, physical, emotional, and psychological aguish is unjust and should be