Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement

Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement
Name:
Course:
Instructor;
Date:
Abstract
Solitary confinement has been a practice that has taken place in the United State Prisons for a very long time. How effective it has been as a form of punishment and a rehabilitation measure has been the primary concern. The research is based on the history of solitary confinement and the purpose it was intended to serve. It as well serves to find out if this purpose has been well covered and what have been the results and has it been effective in serving the purpose.
Introduction
Solitary confinement can be described as a prison within a prison. It is a small room barely 80 meters square with mostly a bed, a toilet and a sink. The prisoner confined is brought food through a small opening. With the exception of the prison officials, the prisoner is entirely isolated. They are only allowed few hours of exercise but in a cage. Originally, this confinement was supposed to take a few hours or in extreme cases, a week. It is, however, not the case now. A prisoner can even be confined for years. Studies have shown that this kind of imprisonment has drastic effects on the psychological state of an inmate. Before these results are unveiled, it will be important to look at the history of this kind of imprisonment.
History of Solitary Confinement
Solitary confinement has been practiced for almost 190 years now (Denis, 2016). The first experiment was based on the argument that it would aid in the rehabilitation of the incarcerated prisoners. It was believed that being isolated with a Bible would give the inmate time to introspect, repent and pray. It was entirely based on Quaker's beliefs. The first experiment in the United States took place at Eastern Estate Penitentiary in Philadelphia in 1829 (Laura, 2006). The results, however, were unexpected. Most of the inmates went insane, became functionless when they were released to the society while others committed suicide.
Justice Samuel Freeman Miller, from the U.S Supreme Court, housed an opinion concerning the effects of solitary confinement in Philadelphia in 1890 (Laura, 2006). He found out that even the inmates who were in solitary for a short period suffered from a condition that can be best termed as semi-fatuous. Arousing them was hard. There are those who resolved in committing suicide as well as those who went insane completely. The few, who could stand this, however, were unable to function well in the society.
The worst criminals were sent to Alcatraz by the federal government. The Alcatraz was built in San Francisco Bay in 1934 (Laura, 2006). There were three conditions here. There were those inmates who were allowed some few hours to work in the yard. There were those who conformed to the other two conditions: there was one that was termed as ‘D Block' and then another one ‘The Hole.' Inmates in the D Block could spend years of their lives there. They were given food and clothing. They were however restricted from interacting with other prisoners. ‘The Hole,' had the worst conditions. It was a concrete room with a hole in the floor. Inmates were naked and stayed in the darkness. Food that was barely bread and water was given to them through an ope...