Solitary Confinement

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Despite working directly against rehabilitation and often precipitating a host of cognitive issues in those subjected to it, the practice of solitary confinement continues to be used as a corrective measure in the US federal prison system. The problems accompanying solitary confinement can potentially lead to inmates losing the vital skills they will need to successfully reintegrate back into society and thus increase rates of recidivism. This project explores solitary confinement’s past and present, as well as its physical and psychological consequences and whether it may count as cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment; these themes will be illustrated through both past research and inmate testimonies.

Author

• Jillian Mariel Sabre, Cabrini College