Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Report

Department

Psychology

College

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Primary Advisor

Dr. Rosalind Goodrich

Abstract

This systematic literature review looks at previous research that explores the possibility of a correlation between solitary confinement and the presence of mental illness within those isolated inmates. Twenty percent of prison inmates experience isolation for up to twenty-two hours per day with restricted social interaction and limited amenities (Hagan et al., 2018; Ryan & DeVylder, 2020). Certain inmate demographics are more likely to be sent into isolation in an effort to protect themselves or others, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the developmentally impaired, and the mentally ill. However, this practice often has the opposite of its intended effect. For example, in a sample of inmates who were placed into solitary confinement, 91% experienced anxiety, 68% experienced heart palpitations, 70% felt an impending nervous breakdown, 86% felt an oversensitivity to stimuli, 83% experienced social withdrawal, and 77% experienced chronic depression (Haney, 2003). Another study found that isolated inmates were seven times more likely to self-harm than others (Hagan et al., 2018). To combat this issue, prisons should improve the conditions in solitary confinement by providing access to rehabilitation programs while offering limited, yet quality social interaction to rehabilitate the inmates more effectively and gradually encourage reintegrative success into the general prison population and, hopefully, the community.

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