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Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which an inmate is isolated from human contact, typically in a small cell for 22 to 24 hours a day. This practice is used in various correctional settings, including maximum-security prisons, detention centers, and juvenile facilities. The primary justifications for solitary confinement include punishing inmates for disciplinary infractions, protecting vulnerable individuals, and managing prisoners deemed a threat to others or institutional security.
Conditions in solitary confinement often involve minimal stimulation, restricted movement, and limited access to educational, vocational, or rehabilitative programs. Although some argue that solitary confinement is necessary for prison safety, growing awareness of its harmful effects has led to calls for reform, including limitations on its duration and alternatives that prioritize rehabilitation over isolation.
There are no NIC products associated with this term at this time.
Reforming solitary confinement: the development, implementation, and processes of a restrictive housing step down reentry program in Oregon
Over the past decade there have been numerous and impassioned calls to reform the practice of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons.