Every time I’ve encountered the mention of solitary confinement (sc) in news articles they make it sound like it’s much worse than ordinary imprisonment. Why? Is it the boredom?
If you couldn’t even be allowed reading materials in sc, I could see the point. But prison seems so scary, I think I’d rather be removed from the other prisoners. At least I wouldn’t get raped or shiv’ed.
Depends on the type of solitary.
Some solitary is punitive. Humans are social animals, and depriving them of all contact is a severe punishment, especially when it lasts for weeks or months. Some are calling the newer “Supermax” prisons torture chambers for this reason. They are pretty much solitary confinement for everyone all the time (though not in the dark hole of movies). Some inmates have had severe psychological reactions to these conditions. Remember, they really mean “solitary”. You don’t even see the guards.
Also, some solitary is to calm down problem inmates or simply seperate them from the general population. If you are one raping or shiving people, you will be moved away from everyone.
Assuming that I had access to books or something similar to keep me interested, I would have no problem with solitary.
However, there are two key points. Firstly I don’t think that traditionally solitary included the sorts of things to keep your brain busy (although, where used in the west, I’m sure that that’s not often the case anymore). Secondly, I’m reclusive 
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I’m a “solitary” kind of guy too, Bromley. So if I ever go to prison, I’ll first ask if they allow reading material in solitary. Then, if the answer is yes, start shiving and raping left and right!
I like being by myself more than most people, but sitting is a cell all by myself hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month and having to use a bucket to crap in isn’t my idea of living. 
Don’t confuse solitary with isolation. Isolation units are for high risk prisoners. For example, people that kill children, homosexuals, and other people who’s lives are determained to be at risk.
Isolation is more or less a cell similar to the rest of jail but you can’t get out to the main prison area and they can’t get to you.
Solitary is you and just you alone with no reading, no TV, no radio, no lights, probably a mat on the floor, no pillow, no cigarettes, no contact…
Quite different.
Another factor in this is that in many state prisons, time spent in solitary does not count as “good behavior” time. That can significantly increase the proportion of your full sentence that you have to serve, and will also look bad when you appear before the parole board.
Quick hijack-what is “shiving?”
Stabbing.
Specifically, stabbing someone with a ‘shiv’, an improvised knife that might be easily-hidden.
It was initially a noun, not a verb, as far as I can tell, and it’s not exactly a modern word, either (to my surprise). More on the definition of shiv can be found here and here.
“Shiv” can refer to a sort of crude (or improvised) knife.
Most people underestimate just how hard solitary can actually be. Even those who feel they are naturally introverted people don’t realise just how much we rely on constant human presence to keep us sane.
While these might be accurate descriptions in North Korea or Iran, I doubt that Amercian solitary confinement is this harsh. I hope Qadgop wanders into this thread and gives us the straight dope on solitary confinement.
I thought therewere prisons in the U.S. like that. There was a TV show (or a TV news item) in which some inmates launched a human rights suit because they were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment because there cells were set up essentially as solitary confinement (as a regular condition rather than being thrown in “the hole” as a disciplinary measure).
The suicide rate of that particular prison is through the rood and it is “you and just you alone with no reading, no TV, no radio, no lights, probably a mat on the floor, no pillow, no cigarettes, no contact…” except that they had fluorescent lighting, a cot and pillow.
I remember in the news report the inmates lost their suit and the one guy started crying and howling like a kicked puppy.
I’ll see if I can Google the case.
the ‘Silent System’ was used experimentally in a few English prisons in the 19th c., notably Millbank Penitentiary and the Coldbath Fields House of Correction. prisoners were not isolated but were forbidden to communicate with each other, verbally or not, at any time. Some went crazy as a result. The ‘Separate System’, with complete isolation, was also used in some places. Convicts were supposed to use their all too abundant spare time to reflect on their misdeeds.
From what I understand, there is also no clock in a solitary confinement cell - so, you have no light, barely any sound, you can’t see anybody, even the guards - you basically only know the time of day by when they bring you food
I mean, it drives me nuts when I forget my watch and don’t know exactly what time it is - I can’t imagine being cut off from knowing altogether, esp. when it would help me figure out how long I have left in solitary confinement.
People go crazy there because there is nothing to do but sit and think in the dark, for hours and days on end. Yes, if there were reading materials allowed, it would be totatlly different. But I think that would completely defeat the purpose, which is punishment of the prisoner.
Doubt no more. It can be like that. More on this over the weekend.
My neighbor was in jail for awhile. So, I always get to listen to his crazy jail stories. From what he says, solitary confinement is really, really hard. He had to do it for about a week and he starting going crazy. He always tells a story about how he had this paper duck that another inmate made for him and is was his only friend for a week. He talked to the duck. He kept the duck and keeps it above his TV.
He’s a monster, 300lb+ guy. It’s funny to think of him talking to a paper duck.
-Shaggarito
Don’t forget the absolute worst aspect of sc.
No SDMB’s!! :eek: