Secured Housing Unit

Introduction

The justice systems in America and other nations usually incorporate various techniques of punishing the convicted persons. Prison sentence is one of the most common ways of implementing punishments for an offender usually ranging from some days to years. While in prison the individual should demonstrate appropriate behavior such that as the release date approaches a changed man returns to the community. However, there are cases where the inmates do not conduct themselves as per the regulations of the prison. This occurrence results in the punishment commonly referred to as solitary confinement. In such a case, the individual is kept separate from human contact usually in a small room. It could be used as a measure of protecting vulnerable prisoners from self-harm or from others who are more violent. This form of punishment has come under significant criticism for its impact on the inmate usually psychologically hence categorized as a form of torture. The following paper discusses the effects that secure housing units could have on an individual and its positive impacts. A brief history of the prison punishment is also provided as a means of establishing a foundation of how it started.

History

The penal system in the US Justice and correction system has been present in the civilized society for more than a century. In America, solitary confinement dates back to the late 18th Century. The correctional officers identified the need to provide these offenders with at least a few hours of seclusion so that they can mull over their shortcomings and wrongful actions. During the late 1700s, the practices in these secure housing units, the inmate would be allowed to participate in numerous handicrafts while reading the Bible. In this regard, their failure to adhere to the rules that were outlined by the community were considered to be a sin. Therefore, repentance of one’s sins was a sign that the criminal had come to terms with the ill in their actions and was seeking forgiveness. The primary purpose by wardens and other correction officers was never actually achieved. This occurrence is particularly evident in the long term solitary confinement as many prisoners became insane and lost all functional ability. Others would commit suicide by all means possible.

The consequences of the secure housing units prompted many prisons to abandon the practice one by one. Numerous literary figures from Europe commented on the severity of the penal system as it failed to achieve its intended purpose. By the mid 19th Century, many of the prisons in America had abandoned the practice with only a few identifying its effectiveness in punishing inmates. In 1890, the Supreme Court recognized these shortcomings as significant evidence that the punishment system should be abandoned due to its risks on the prisoners. This meant that all correctional facilities that had yet to eradicate the program should stop immediately. However, almost a century after that, the punishment practice was reinstated in Arizona. Numerous modern technology innovations would guarantee long-term confinement of the prisoners. As a result, it would serve as the first “supermax” prison. Three years later in 1989, California built the next supermax, and soon there were many more including one by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Within a decade nearly each state had its supermax prison.

These correctional facilities were noted to have distinct differences from the first solitary confinement cells used in the late 18th Century. To begin with, there was the use of technology that would guarantee total removal of prisoners from encountering any human contact. This practice would be employed such that there was little contact with another person for up to 23 hours in a day extending from days to even years. In this case, at the press of a button, a prison administrator inside a control booth can release prisoners from their cells and out to get some exercise. Usually, the room has no windows and nothing else other than basic amenities like bed and toilet. A fluorescent bulb is always one in place of the natural light. 

Another difference is evident in the fact that it does not incorporate general population prisoners. Alternatively, it serves as a major confinement for convicts considered to be the worst of the worst. The inmates are assigned to a supermax prison due to poor behavior in a general population correctional facility or for showing signs of being a danger to the society and possibly leading a gang. A prisoner may also serve their sentence in a supermax as protective custody. It is usually noted that their lives are in danger when they serve their sentences in general population prisons. They could also have mental illness hence the need to place the criminal in seclusion as they would be a disruption to the rest of the general population. 

In clear contrast to the 18th Century secure housing units, the supermax prisons are not meant for redemption or rehabilitation. A prisoner is consigned to these secure housing units as a with a clear intention that they will not be released anytime soon. In this regard, there is an explicit understanding that despite the convict’s attempts to behave in a particular way or refrain from certain actions, their confinement is indefinite and their efforts will not be rewarded with a release. Despite the continued pleas from the society to dissolve this practice, the federal and state governments approve its continuation. No one is allowed to visit the confined inmates other than their lawyers, and the court-approved experts who are allowed temporary admission. 

Effects of Solitary Confinement

Psychological Effects

One of the primary impacts of solitary confinement is depicted by psychological consequences. Researchers have pointed out that the adverse effects of secure housing units are enhanced by the duration of stay in solitude. It is nearly impossible to identify any record of mental and emotional dysfunction realized due to short-term incarcerations. However, numerous records have been reported of cases of insanity and emotional imbalance due to the solitary confinements. The Pelican Bay State Prison found in California is particularly noted for its extreme conditions. Numerous convicts are subjected to total isolation not just for a month or two but for extended long periods that could extend to decades. This occurrence has been a primary factor to continued calls for the elimination of the practice. The extended bouts of time where individuals spend on their own, one lacks the ability to engage in some form of mental stimulation.

As mentioned earlier, the inmates in this case are usually isolated such that they cannot hear sounds of other human beings or even differentiate night from day. The only moment that an individual is released is when he is going to take a bath and exercising. The individual rather than mulling over previous mistakes may instead revert to undesirable behavior. They are more likely to engage in conversations with themselves a clear indicator of delusion. The complete lack of human contact is a potential setting for insanity. The lack of reading materials or any meaningful activity for the prisoner is a major factor that induces an unstable emotional state as they become extremely sensitive. Cognitive difficulties, perceptual changes, thought content that is disturbing, and affective disturbances are some of the evident impacts of the confinement. These instances are clear factors of developing changes in the individual’s mental state as they are unable to gain control and are even more likely to commit the crimes that ensured they are placed in the facility.

In this regard, the various pathological issues identified above demonstrate what can be regarded as SHU syndrome. Perceptual changes for instance depict an individual’s distortion of the reality and will significantly respond differently to the external stimuli. The difficulty in thinking, memory and concentration is shows that the affected person is usually experiencing hallucinations and multiple thoughts at the same time. The convicts who portrayed these symptoms were also more likely to present cases of panic and anxiety disorder as they are unaware of the potential harm they could encounter. It is because of such cases that activists have depicted that solitary confinement is an unusual and cruel form of punishment that should not be exerted on another human being. This provides an elaborate explanation for the prison hunger strike that was led by Todd Ashker a gang leader who was placed in Pelican Bay’s SHUs. Despite being confined with sworn enemies in the prison, they collaborated to protest against such treatment (Wallace-Wells, 2014). Ashker was assigned to isolation for more than 23years. 

Prisoners assigned to secure housing units are depicted to be at a high risk of experiencing mental illness in their lives. Arrigo and Bullock (2007) pointed out that the social isolation practiced in the solitary cells could lead to clinical depression. Additionally, the prisoners may lack the ability to control their impulses for extended periods due to this seclusion. The confinements of prisoners who are noted to have pre-existing mental illness are more likely to develop symptoms of psychiatric symptoms. This occurrence is likely to take place as the supermax facilities will usually provide solitude for criminals with an unstable mental state. Prison administrators have used such indicators as a clear case for justifying solitary confinement. The lack of a stable mindset places the individual in increased risk of aggravating their health. In this case, inability to adjust to the prison environment is a significant factor that could cause inability to control their behavior.

The duration of time an individual is confined through administrative action is usually longer than that where disciplinary issues are the main cause. As the individual may be segregated for many years, he or she is more likely to suffer from the authority of correctional staff. The prison officers are usually considered to be the primarily involved in identifying which inmate will be released back to the general population and the one who will continue in the torment. As a result, the prisoners are more likely to develop suicidal thoughts a clear indicator that depression has set in. Such convicts may actualize their thoughts once they are released. The lack of physical contact also means that the prisoners will not receive attendance from the psychiatrists or clinical psychologists. This occurrence will increase the risk of the mental illness becoming even more severe than was necessary.

Social and Behavioral Effects

Denial of social contact has contributed to the decline in social capabilities of the inmates in question. Dr. Haney, who conducted interviews on Ashker and other inmates secluded from any human contact, described the men as experiencing social death. To put this into perspective, the individuals are usually put into seclusion for nearly 23 hours in a day. Even though they know the prisoner who is in the next pod, they will never see each other for extended period of time. One of the inmates in the Pelican Bay SHU described the prison environment as an equivalent to laboratories where human experiment takes place. In this regard, many of them struggled to maintain their sanity and to have been able to survive the experience for more than two decades is a testament to their resilience. Very few people would have been able to survive such harsh conditions and continue to behave like a normal and social human being. 

Human beings rely on one another in an effort to maintain a stable sense of mind and ability to continue reasoning normally. Prisoners in the supermax facilities are not given the opportunity to connect with one another as a form of punishment for one wrongdoing or another. Such individuals are unable to validate their own perceptions of the surrounding. In this case, the action of a person raising their hand to wave may be perceived as threatening and hence prompts the individual to attack. Such a response may not have been presented earlier on hence showing difficulty in interpreting social cues. The incarcerates depict inability to differentiate between social reality from what is not and cannot know what is made up in their minds from what is actually taking place. This occurrence demonstrates evidently that the connection established from one person to another is an important factor towards improving adjustment to life in prison.

The absence of human contact for these incarcerated individuals causes increased sensitivity and vulnerability to the authority figures. The inmates are unable to demonstrate confidence and high self esteem when they are placed in these isolated cells. A common supermax cell usually measures two meters by three meters. In this case, the prisoner cannot even move about in the confined space. There is little air supply as there is no window and all spaces are closed to prevent natural light from coming in. The prison officers or wardens will usually have control over the time these individuals will spend in segregation from the general population. As a result, the person will succumb to the orders barked out by them. The prison guards are more likely to take advantage of this vulnerability of the inmates to force them into unnatural and inhumane punishments. They will usually command for actions that make the prisoners feel embarrassed and more of slaves. 

Due to continued control of behavior by the authority figures, incarcerated persons are less likely to manage their own behavior. This may occur in cases where administrative isolation has been enforced. The prisoners make an effort to depict good behavior as a measure of gaining the confidence and mercy of the guards. They may also experience instances of lethargy and apathy whereby they do not engage in social interaction. Goode (2015) reports the story of Joseph Harmon a prisoner at the Pelican Bay SHU where he spent eight years in isolation. Since being released from prison, he has dedicated his life to being a preacher seeking to turn the lives of other prisoners to worship Christ. However, he confesses that he usually withdraws from social interaction even despite the freedom he had. This behavior developed as a result of lengthy periods spent alone in a small space in the supermax. The solitary confinement system is not only reserved for the most violent convicts but also those thought to be at risk of attacks from other prisoners. These individuals who may have committed minor crimes will suffer the same fate as a gang leader and other more volatile criminals. The experience in the segregated cell causes many to engage in increase in the severity of their crimes once they are released. 

Biological Effects

As previously mentioned, not only the most violent prisoners are subjected to confinement. It is evident that juveniles are at times forced into solitude particularly when they are convicted as adults rather than children. The effects of isolation are more profound on them than in the adults. As they are still undergoing physiological growth, the isolation from the other human beings may cause detrimental impacts. Their physical health is usually at risk as the young persons may have not developed resistance to numerous illnesses. The confined spaces are less likely to be warm or experience appropriate air circulation. In this regard, the fragile bodies are exposed to conditions through which they cannot survive. These biological forms of torture will usually cause the individuals to experience high levels of inappropriate behavior as retaliation. The solitary exclusion will then be a major factor increasing the individual’s risk to experience these biological complications.

Prisons and jails are rarely equipped to serve inmates who are physically immature. This occurrence is evident where convicts with small bodies are forced to adapt to the loose pants that rarely hold on to the waist. The conditions of confinement do not allow for development in mass as the incarcerates are denied access to care. When they succumb to illnesses or diseases, they are less likely to receive the attention of medical practitioners. There are cases where in various facilities this serves as a disciplinary action where failure to comply with orders from the guards will result in denial of medical attention. In other cases, the health workers are completely unavailable. Many of the inmates reported to have gone to sleep hungry consequently leading to loss of weight and hair. Juveniles will usually experience punitive solitary isolation as a means of rectifying behavior. This punishment comes along with deprived nutritional supplements that causes drastic loss in weight and increases risk for developing physiological disorders.

The inmates at Pelican Bay prison identify that for 24 hours in a day, the individuals spends in the confined space. As a result, one is less likely to move about or engage in meaningful activity. One hour is the standard practice that is used to allow prisoners to engage in some form of exercise. However, there are some institutions where they give some allowance with a few extra minutes. This occurrence enables the prisoners to participate in some form of stretching. Juvenile centers will usually adopt similar harsh practices in the treatment of the young offenders. As their developmental process is not yet complete, they are more likely to suffer for an extended period. There have been cases where the young criminals suffer brittle bones due to inactivity and lack of effective exercise. The one hour a day may not always be encountered in an open air field rather it is indoors and does not allow a lot of movement for the numerous convicts. 

As the weekend approaches, many of the guards in a facility may reduce to allow for free time among the officers. This occurrence results in an extended period of confinement in the small cells. The prisoners may go on for 24hrs in a day without stepping out of their pods. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Health and Human Services recommend vigorous activity as a necessity for the children between six and seventeen years of age. These practices may include jumping rope, running, aerobics, gymnastics, and combinations of the above for more than an hour in a day. Lack of such activity may threaten the overall health of the individual. Rather than engage in exercise, these young offenders will usually spend much of their time alone rather than engage in exercise. None of the juveniles interviewed described facilities that offer their mandatory exercise programs. Research shows that lack of physical fitness could be a great contributor to numerous chronic illnesses.

Another common biological issue is the issue of stunted growth, due to inappropriate nutrition provided. In this regard, the juveniles are at most risk of suffering as they are still in the process of growth. Some are subjected to food punishments as their diets changed drastically after being assigned to solitary confinement like baked and processed foods. For the occurrence of bone development, there are certain nutrients that are essential for growth to take place. Lengthy confinement for these youths will result in detrimental effect in physical growth. There have been other rare effects of confinement including loss of menstrual periods. A female juvenile who was sent to solitary confinement did not experience her monthly periods during the entire time of her isolation. This occurrence is associated with stress and trauma of the environment. 

Rebuttals

Despite the above named negative impacts of solitary confinement, there are numerous researchers that identify this form of punishment as an effective means of punishment. In this case, the researchers identify the use of the penal system particularly on the violent and highly dangerous convicts. The Mississippi Department of Corrections is evidence of the positive impact of administrative segregation. Prior to its institution, the facility had so many of its inmates placed in solitary confinement. Additionally, the mentally ill criminals would cause high levels of disturbances due to the altercations with other prisoners. The gang-related criminals would also engage in numerous prisoner-on-prisoner violence prompting guards to use force to stop it. The hallways were also always dirty causing significant risk of widespread disease infection among the inmates and would at times extend to the guards. However, the implementation of solitary confinement ensured that the violence reduced by nearly 70% including that between prisoners and guards. 

Conclusion

Solitary confinement is a form of inmate punishment that was developed centuries ago. It was eliminated as many identified it as an inhumane way of treating people. The above report shows numerous psychological, social and biological impacts of such isolation. The impacts are more severe and experienced for longer periods when the inmate is detained for longer duration. The juveniles also suffer from this treatment and their confinement in the cells alleviates any chance of achieving rehabilitation. This report on the penal system is a means of creating widespread awareness of the brutality and inhumanity of the US Justice and Corrections System. Initially it was intended as a means of reversing unsocial behavior but now seems to create an environment where the perpetrators of severe crimes are subjected to torture emotionally, physically and mentally. As a result, it becomes even harder to eliminate these bad behaviors. 

References

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