On February 25^th, 2014 the United States Senate Judiciary Committee continued its discussion on the harsh effects of using solitary confinement in prisons and jails. A panel of national experts spoke during the congressional hearing led by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Part of a national movement, the hearings hope to reduce or eliminate the use of solitary confinement in prisons and jails. Across the country, states are passing laws limiting the use of segregation in prisons, jails, and youth detention facilities. Additionally, federal legislation is pending that would abolish the use of solitary confinement for anyone under 18 who is in federal custody.

Michigan has a blemished history of using segregation and isolation in its correctional facilities; but it appears that there is some progress in reducing its use statewide.  From 2008 to 2011, the daily average number of people in administrative segregation dropped from 1,275 to 982.[1] In the last three years, the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) reduced the amount of dedicated solitary, or administrative segregation beds from 1,400 to about 1,100.[2]  But there is still a long way to go to ensure that people are receiving safe and humane treatment in prison.

Additionally, individual MDOC facilities are taking action to combat the overuse of segregation. In 2009, the Alger Correctional Facility saw a 10 percent reduction in use of segregation cells with its “Incentives in Segregation” pilot project. The program has also reduced major misconduct and so-called critical incidents in segregation by more than half. Other prisons across the state are catching on, as the pilot has expanded into four additional facilities.[3]

Though Michigan continues to rethink solitary confinement, it still is still practiced widespread across the state.

The Dangers of Solitary Confinement

The US leads the democratic world in its use of isolation in prisons and jails, as the Federal Bureau of Prisons isolates over 15,000 people each year.[4]

A person in solitary confinement typically spends 23 hours a day in a cell with little or no meaningful human contact or recreational activities. This can go on for days to multiple years. They often live in small windowless cells, receiving their food on trays that are pushed through a slot in the door.

Numerous studies have documented the harmful physical and psychological effects of solitary confinement, giving them the name Special Housing Unit Syndrome or SHU Syndrome. Some of the many SHU Syndrome symptoms include: visual and auditory hallucinations, insomnia and paranoia, uncontrollable feelings of rage and fear, increased risk of suicide, and post-traumatic stress disorder. [5]

If one is not mentally ill when entering an isolation unit, their mental health is often severely compromised by the time they are released. One study concluded that people returning to the community after spending time in solitary confinement cells had recidivism rates that doubled those of prisoners who were given a period of transition into the general prison population before release.[6] Additionally, several state and national studies have shown that at least half of all prison suicides occur in solitary confinement.[7] In Michigan, 3 suicides occurred in segregation in 2013.[8]

The use of segregation in correctional facilities is not limited to only adults; people under age 18 in prisons and jails around the country are often isolated in solitary confinement. It can make many young people feel doomed and abandoned, or in some cases, suicidal, and can lead to serious physical and emotional consequences. Adolescents in solitary confinement describe cutting themselves with staples or razors, hallucinations, losing control of themselves, or losing touch with reality while isolated. They talk about only being allowed to exercise in small metal cages, alone, a few times a week; about being prevented from going to school or participating in any activity that promotes growth or change. Some say the hardest part is not being able to hug their mother or father.[9]

The use of solitary confinement for youth violates international law, which is embodied in the prohibition against inhumane treatment in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also arguably violates the standard of decency embodied in our own Constitution’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

How does Michigan Compare?

• The Michigan Department of Corrections calls its solitary confinement units “administrative segregation” and defines it as “confinement for maintenance of order or discipline to a cell or room apart from accommodations provided for inmates who are participating in programs of the facility.”
• In 2013, Michigan held an average of 982 people in administrative segregation each day; a daily average of 44 people with severe mental illness or developmental disabilities were held in segregation.[10]
• Segregation can cost Michigan taxpayers around $66,000 per person annually, double the normal rate for a person incarcerated in an MDOC facility.[11]

Continue the Conversation

To join the conversation on Twitter, mention us at @JusticeinMI; Support the end of solitary confinement by using hashtag #stopsolitary.

Posted by MCCD on Tuesday, March 18th, 2014 @ 1:21PM
Categories: In the News, Mental Health, PREA, Isolation, Restraint
Tags: justice, juvenile justice, justice standards, Michigan, United States, juvenile justice system, justice system, juvenile delinquency, justice reform, solitary confinement