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International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
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The Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement on Prisoners in Supermax Units

Reviewing What We Know and Recommending What Should Change

Bruce A. Arrigo

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, barrigo{at}email.uncc.edu

Jennifer Leslie Bullock

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

This article examines the psychological consequences of short- and long-term solitary confinement for prisoners in the United States subjected to administrative or disciplinary segregation. Particular attention is paid to the use of secure housing units, alternatively known as control units or supermax units. These correctional entities allow for the isolation of convicts under conditions that offer little sensory stimulation and minimal opportunities for interaction with other people. The circumstances typically found in these units and the heightened potential for the abuse of prisoners are described. The connections between internment and mental illness—as well as isolation and race, gender, and class—are explored. A set of recommendations for the reform of secure housing is presented.

Key Words: supermax prisons • solitary confinement • psychological effects • abuse of prisoners • correctional policy reform

This version was published on December 1, 2008

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 52, No. 6, 622-640 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0306624X07309720
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