Steve Chapman on Solitary Confinement and Its Costs

In
recent decades, our correctional institutions have made
ever-increasing use of solitary confinement. By 2005, more than
80,000 prisoners were held this way. The total exceeds that of any
other country in the democratic world. But the tide may be turning.
On Wednesday, the New York state government reached a settlement
banning the use of extreme isolation for juveniles and limiting it
for adults. Other states are reassessing the practice, and Tuesday,
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., will convene a hearing on it. This
is not the first time Americans have gone through this learning
sequence, points out Steve Chapman. The use of isolation originated
in this country in the early 19th century, with the purpose of
spurring criminals to reflect on their misdeeds and repent. But the
results were catastrophic, and the incidence of mental disturbances
among prisoners so detained was so great that the system fell into
disfavor and was ultimately abandoned.

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