As we investigate the modern prison system, it’s surprising that we are still willing to put humans in such small confinements. An average cell for a human in the prison system is still no bigger than a parking space (Campbell, et al., 4), even here they are sharing this cell with at least one other person. To an average person outside of the system, this might seem unbelievable. Now, imagine if that parking space of a room shrunk down to the size of an elevator, and you were unable to leave for more than one hour each day.

Solitary confinement is a method of punishment where a prisoner is locked into a cell for 22-24 hours a day, a cell no bigger than the average apartment bathroom, with little if any natural light shining in on the human trapped inside. The only interaction a human in solitary has is the passing of food through a slot through the door twice a day, often without words spoken from the guard on the other side. As a community on the outside world, we often speak of the ideal outcome of rehabilitation, but how can we expect rehabilitation if we allow people to sit in cages with out compassion from those around? How can we expect rehabilitation if we allow others to sit without human connection, the only sound being one’s own thoughts? How can we expect rehabilitation if we are treating others of our community as though they are animals, instead of beings with emotions and needs? 

I am asking for a call of action to end solitary confinement. The cruelty of a cell with no human interaction, sound, or color, is the cruelty of taking away one’s hope for a good quality of life. One can not be expected to flourish or grow in an inhumane environment, as we are taking away one’s basic necessities, such as human interaction and compassion. In an ideal world, wrongdoings should be met with mental health resources and techniques of humane rehabilitation, and this is not a goal that should be considered well out of reach. Locking humans away as if they are being discarded only harbors an aggressive environment. Abolishing solitary confinement is the first step to leading with compassion and hope that offenders can be productive members of a community, and certainly are humans that deserve care. Prisons should not be cages for those who offend. However, they should be spaces for potential growth and reworking for a better future. 

Resources: 

Worth Rises. (2020). The Prison Industry:  How It Started. How It Works. How It Harms.