Should solitary confinement be banned from prisons?

https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40097

While I almost never agree with anything the clowns at the UN have to say I do admit that that guy has a valid point. What is even the practical purpose of solitary confinement? I get it why you would want to isolate someone for a limited time but this could be done by just giving them their own cell. Solitary confinement really just sounds like a form of crude punishment because whipping isn't legal anymore. It also doesn't help when you hear about scandals where some poor guy (well technically a criminal, but still) is thrown into solitary as punishment and then basically just left there for weeks, or even months or years. Or in extreme cases decades.

Yea I'm sorry but I am calling bullshit on the logic behind this method.

Do you think solitary should be banned?

No?

Or at least a better way to organize who is in Solitary so they aren't forgotten.

Why is this even a thing

No, but it should only be used for those prisoners that (with sufficient evidence) can NOT integrate with the general prison population. Some people just genuinely can't. It shouldn't be used as a trivial punishment or for just minor infractions.

Of course, I believe the prisons should actually be used for rehabilitation and not just dungeons to lock away all our undesirables. The gross overuse of solitary confinement is just a symptom of the bigger problems in the US prison complex.

Its effective. I've been there.

Some prisons have television in the cells. Mess around and that TV gets taken away. Its effective.

Also LOL at UN.org or as I see it un.organized

You should stick to screaming "WRRRYYYYY" and stay out of politics.

Hmm, I'm probably too naive to understand the psychological effects of solitary confinement but... I feel like I would prefer having my own personal room to living in the same room with other CRIMINALS. They're criminals ffs! How can I stay calm near them?

BombChel said:

No, but it should only be used for those prisoners that (with sufficient evidence) can NOT integrate with the general prison population. Some people just genuinely can't. It shouldn't be used as a trivial punishment or for just minor infractions.

Of course, I believe the prisons should actually be used for rehabilitation and not just dungeons to lock away all our undesirables. The gross overuse of solitary confinement is just a symptom of the bigger problems in the US prison complex.

+1,000,000

It is certainly a form of psychological torture so I agree that it really is only necessary in extreme cases. However, what is deemed extreme will always be bent by an individual/corporation/etc with a vested interest in a particular result. Again, all stemming from the US prison complex issue(s).

That shit is literally a private enterprise, like what the fuck

Criminals are human beings. Yes, they are human beings who have made incredibly poor decisions. But solitary confinement is a great way to drive someone insane, and at that point you're just torturing the poor bastard. We both know he's not going to rehabilitate through such a sadistic process. Call me crazy, but humanizing criminals instead of doing the eye-for-an-eye thing is a better option. It doesn't mean the criminal will turn around, but they're already locked away where they can't harm anyone. Why torture them?

GoatLord said:

but they're already locked away where they can't harm anyone. Why torture them?

So prison fights aren't a thing right?

I know this will make me sound like a hypocrite, but I just bought prison architect on steam and currently having a blast seeing how much I can torture my prisoners without causing a prison destroying riot.

Memfis said:

Hmm, I'm probably too naive to understand the psychological effects of solitary confinement but... I feel like I would prefer having my own personal room to living in the same room with other CRIMINALS. They're criminals ffs! How can I stay calm near them?

That makes both of us naive. I do well alone, assuming my basic needs are met. Being around convicted brutes playing all boys state criminal high-school is not an environment I want to be exposed to. Boredom, that would be the biggest issue.

Chezza said:

I do well alone

Being alone in your bedroom with a PC for a day or so isn't the same as being locked up alone with nothing to do for years.

I've watched Oz, and whenever there is a shower scene you know someone's going to get raped.

No, because we don't need to further politicize dumb crap like this. Hardened criminals don't deserve normal cells.

I would suggest people at least read the Wikipedia article on solitary confinement before jumping to conclusions. Penitentiary systems already isolate people from society, but (especially prolonged) solitary confinement is an extra step away because not even fellow inmates really know what happens to the confined person, only the staff or part of the staff, so oversight of what they do is more limited than usual.

While I agree wholeheartedly about its misuse as a punitive measure, I would still advocate against its complete ban. Would you really release, say, Breivik into the general prison population? How long before he's stabbed to death with a sharpened fork?

Doesn't solitary confinement leave you some time just for yourself, and isolate you from prison bullies for a short while? Isn't that nice? I don't know how prison feels though…

Yes, it should.

It is torture.

Lets not pretend torture is universally bad now, ok?

Short term solitary confinement is probably justifiable. Long term isn't, and calling it psychological torture is completely accurate. It's nothing to do with "having your own room" or "having time to yourself", and you won't enjoy it because you are an introvert.

I'm sure it will torture me like anyone else. But I still prefer that torture over muscle brutes threaten to either beat, molest or kill me (generalization I know, but still some truth to it.

That's easy for you to say because you're not in prison and ignorant of what the experience of solitary confinement is like.

BTW guys, there's a difference between Solitary Confinement and Protective Custody. Those inmates that are being kept from other prisoners for their safety aren't kept in isolation cells. Solitary is literally a bed and a toilet and that's IT. No contact with other humans at all other than when the guard brings your food, very little sense of the passing of time. It's maddening for the same reasons that astronauts need thorough psyche evaluations before and after space expeditions (especially by themselves). Humans are social creatures, it's a necessity for survival.

fraggle said:

That's easy for you to say because you're not in prison and ignorant of what the experience of solitary confinement is like.

Good thing we got OG fraggle over here rep'ing the street, telling us all about what prison life is from his extensive first-hand knowledge.

My stance on solitary is like my stance on the death penalty. The idea is fine, how we use it (particularly in the US) is not. It should not be one of those things that you throw around willy-nilly. If a prisoner absolutely can not function in genpop, then fine remove him, if someone is starting fights and attacking other prisoners, fine. But it should not be a default punishment measure.

dew said:

Would you really release, say, Breivik into the general prison population? How long before he's stabbed to death with a sharpened fork?

That sounds like a win, win to me. Guy should have been taken out and shot a long time ago.

dew said:

While I agree wholeheartedly about its misuse as a punitive measure, I would still advocate against its complete ban. Would you really release, say, Breivik into the general prison population? How long before he's stabbed to death with a sharpened fork?

He has written volumes of complaints about his "inhumane" solitary confinement and how his PS2 is inadequate for the games he wishes to play. He took the Norwegian government to court at one point.

I think they're more afraid of him being able to radicalize other inmates than they are concerned for his personal safety.

BombChel said:

BTW guys, there's a difference between Solitary Confinement and Protective Custody. Those inmates that are being kept from other prisoners for their safety aren't kept in isolation cells. Solitary is literally a bed and a toilet and that's IT. No contact with other humans at all other than when the guard brings your food, very little sense of the passing of time. It's maddening for the same reasons that astronauts need thorough psyche evaluations before and after space expeditions (especially by themselves). Humans are social creatures, it's a necessity for survival.

Good point, I have to say I got those two confused. I don't think the former is an actual abused thing here in Europe, except maybe as a memory of the communist times in the ex-Eastern Bloc.

SYS said:

He has written volumes of complaints about his "inhumane" solitary confinement and how his PS2 is inadequate for the games he wishes to play. He took the Norwegian government to court at one point.

So his punishment for murdering 77 kids is have permanent housing, food, and shitty entertainment for life? Good job with that one Norway.

Edit: sorry for 21 years*

*Something* *Something* righteousness about rehabilitation & moral superiority by not dehumanizing dehumanizers. Even though the prison staff stuck dealing with him don't consider him to be human. Even if the "Norwegian Morality" were tossed aside the remaining concern would be making a martyr of him.