Punishment has been meted out to individuals and groups of people or centuries for a host of reasons. It could be for an act against the state, the common good, an individual, an act of treason or a way to subdue protest or a threat to authority. The most prevalent and common form of punishment is imprisonment. The practice of imprisonment began with the formation of states or a central authority that governed over people. The state or the central authority had the right to imprison people who went against the set of rules laid out for the people. Prisons are facilities where men and women who have done something against the law are locked up without certain privileges and freedom as a punishment for the act they have committed. Sometimes people can be imprisoned for being a threat to the state or for creating political dissent. The practice of solitary confinement in prisons is followed when the prisoners are deemed to be extremely violent, are a threat to the other people in the prison or have considered heinous acts. Although solitary confinement is a practice followed by many countries as a form of punishment, it is usually counterproductive. It causes a lot of psychological, physical and emotional problems for the prisoners leading to a call by many human rights commentators and the general public to end the practice.
Solitary confinement leads to a lot of mental problems in the prisoners. Solitary confinement is when a prisoner is locked inside a small cell for up to 22 hours in a day with a few short breaks, usually in the night for exercise. These prisoners have no contact with other people except for occasional visits by their attorneys or human rights workers. In effect, they have a very minimal touch with other people. Although the state justifies these actions by citing their threat level or their crimes, it cannot be denied that solitary confinement is a cruel practice. A 2008 Human Rights Watch report on solitary confinement in Guantanamo Bay states that “Such extreme and prolonged isolation violates international legal obligations, aggravates desperate behavior and has the potential to creates more violent behavior in the future. (Locked up, 2008).” If the mental health problems mount, rehabilitation of these people would become a serious problem. Conditioned to abnormal conditions for a long period of time, these prisoners would find it extremely difficult to fit into their surroundings later on. These prisoners have nothing much to do the entire day except read a book or pace around the cell. Minimal contact with other people stresses them emotionally and many a times they become mentally unhinged. They become extremely vengeful and emotionally unbalanced. When they are released, they come out with ideas of revenge and a deep hatred for the authority instead of being reformed. Although one of the purposes of the prison system is reformation of the prisoners, the harsh conditions of prison life, especially solitary confinement breeds negative emotions in them. Denying natural light and fresh air for the prisoners is just beyond cruel. The denial of exercise, fresh air and light also has adverse physical effects on the prisoners.
Solitary confinement whether it is for a short period of time or a long time often results in physiological problems for the prisoners apart from their psychological problems. Although some of these physical problems are a manifestation of underlying emotional stress most are actually caused by the physical state of confinement. Prisoners often complain about abdominal pains and cramps in the neck and back which is brought on by long periods of physical inactivity (Shalev 2008). Other physical symptoms include increased blood pressure, chronic indigestion, loss of appetite and weight and palpitations. The prisoners who have been in solitary confinement for a while are also extremely sensitive to external stimuli. Even the closing of doors, harsh light or a small sound can disturb them. They also suffer from extreme bouts of insomnia owing to the fact that they do not get tired and are afraid of what would happen to them. They also end up with joint aches or chronic lethargy owing to the lack of physical activity. There is also an aggravation of any previous existing health condition such as diabetes, hypertension or a heart condition. Prisoners also tend to develop tremors. Lack of physical contact with other human beings also makes it extremely difficult for them to socialize when they are finally released. The sensitivity to external stimuli that they develop in prison stays with them for a long time and they have to undergo extensive psychological and physical treatments to attain absence of normalcy in their lives. The effect of the mental and physical stress on the prisoners also make them more aggressive and suicidal.
When a prisoner has been locked up for long periods of time, it is common to develop hallucinations and a sense of despondency. The fear of the future and uncertainty is especially heightened when the prisoner has no idea on when he or she would be released. This causes violent behavior as well as suicidal thoughts. There have been many instances of riots inside prisons and suicides because of the adverse psychological effects of solitary confinement. “Contemporary studies have also shown that self-harm (including banging one’s head against the cell wall) and suicides are more common in isolation units than in the general prison population (Haney and Lynch 525).” Self harm is another problem with prisoners in the isolation units. Since they have very little outlet for the tremendous amount of pressure they undergo, the resort or cutting themselves or self harming. This act helps them to feel alive or show their aggression in some manner. Some prisoners do not harm themselves but become like a pressure cooker which finally bursts. In such cases, they try and attack the guards at any given opportunity.
Solitary confinement is justified on the grounds that these specific prisoners deserve them for their violent behavior or the increased level of threat they pose to the state and other people. It is often argued that these prisoners are kept in isolation for their own good as well as the safety of the guards and the other prisoners. The solitary confinement ranges for 22-23 hours a day giving the prisoners very little time to breathe in fresh air or get any form of physical exercise. As a result the prisoners in solitary confinement develop a lot of physical, emotional and psychological problems. They become paranoid, suicidal, depressed, extremely sensitive to external stimuli and also develop problems like hypertension and insomnia. Although the aim of solitary confinement is punishment and possible reformation, it usually ends up counterproductive. the negative effects created by solitary confinement for any period of time leads to a change in the individual that makes it harder for them to adjust into normal society when they are released. Released or in captivity, these prisoners suffer from grave physical, mental and psychological issues as a result of solitary confinement.
Works Cited
“Locked Up Alone: Detention Conditions and Mental Health at Guantanamo.” Human Rights Watch. 9 June 2008. Web. 12 Apr 2016.
Shalev, S. A Source book on Solitary Confinement. London: Mannheim Center for Criminology, London School of Economics. 2008.
Haney, Craig and Lynch, Mona. Regulating Prisons of the Future: A Psychical Analysis of Supermax and Solitary Confinement. N.Y.U. Rev. L. & Soc. Change 477 (1997).
