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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*
and
Jennifer Leslie Bullock
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: barrigo{at}email.uncc.edu.
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Abstract |
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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.
First published on November 19, 2007, doi:10.1177/0306624X07309720
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 2008;52:622.
A more recent version of this article appeared on December 1, 2008
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