Solitary Confinement Research Paper

Words: 463
Pages: 2

Prolonged solitary confinement has been proven to lead to mental issues of prisoners, however, that does not mean it should be a banned form of punishment. Some people strongly believe that the increase in psychiatric problems is reason enough to stop using solitary confinement. Melanie Sue is graduate with a bachelor’s in communication & media studies with a minor in sociology and gender studies. She strongly believes that solitary confinement is unethical, and is an expensive torture that is not necessary for today's prisoners. Through Sue’s research she has observed that there is an estimated 25,000 people in prolonged solitary confinement. This increasing number means that more taxpayer dollars are being used to help fund prisons and to help build the special housing facilities for people that are placed in solitary confinement. Along with her views on how much money is spent to support …show more content…
Through his editorial he explained how a United Nations Torture expert called for an end for solitary confinement in 2011. The United Nations Special Rapporteur called for a ban of the confinement unless for a short time to help avoid mental disabilities. He explains how solitary confinement in the United States is a big problem that has been a norm and not an exception. The UN rapporteur made the point that the mental illnesses that result from solitary confinement can be seen as inhumane torture. THe UN released a information saying that isolation in prison should only be used in exceptional circumstances and an example of those circumstances could be the protection of inmates in which they are gay, bisexual, or threatened by prison gangs. In the end, the General Assembly was told that “social isolation is one of the harmful elements of solitary confinement” adding that it “reduces meaningful social contact to an absolute minimum” (Professor