Examining the Trajectory of Research on U.S. Solitary Confinement

• In Event: Movement and Isolation: Institutional Practices of Transfers and Segregation in Prisons

Abstract

Initially, research on solitary confinement in prisons during the 1960s and 1970s focused on whether the practice led to significant psychological damage and thus, whether it should be deemed as violating the 8th Amendment. With the explosion of supermax facilities and units during the 1980s, research on the effects of solitary confinement continued, but was expanded to study the conditions of confinement, the reasons for supermax incarceration, and its effect on prison violence. In 2016 the National Institute of Justice issued a report on and solicited research proposals to study “restrictive housing.” As a result, several large and smaller research projects focused on various aspects of solitary confinement in a number of states. This paper will draw from a systematic review of the literature on solitary confinement from the 1960s to the present to examine the trajectory of research. It will determine whether the focus of research remains mostly on the effects of solitary confinement on mental health and the conditions of confinement and will explore the more recent research on other topics such as its impact on prison violence, staff well-being, and recidivism. Finally, recommendations for future research will be explored.

Author

• Ann Marie Rocheleau, Stonehill College