This thesis examines the world of solitary confinement within the prison system. My research was inspired by Ashley Smith, a 19-year old segregated inmate who died in isolation while seven guards watched. This outrageous occurrence prompted me to question the practice of solitary confinement and a prison system in which such an event could occur. Studying the history of solitary confinement left me surprised to learn that it was originally intended as a therapeutic and merciful alternative to the punishments of the day. This revelation was one of a series of inversions that led me to conclude that solitary confinement is a world apart, not just physically, but also socially, temporally and legally. I have concluded that improving the lives of those segregated within our prisons requires the world of solitary confinement to become anchored within the broader legal and social context.

This thesis examines the world of solitary confinement within the prison system. My research was inspired by Ashley Smith, a 19-year old segregated inmate who died in isolation while seven guards watched. This outrageous occurrence prompted me to question the practice of solitary confinement and a prison system in which such an event could occur. Studying the history of solitary confinement left me surprised to learn that it was originally intended as a therapeutic and merciful alternative to the punishments of the day. This revelation was one of a series of inversions that led me to conclude that solitary confinement is a world apart, not just physically, but also socially, temporally and legally. I have concluded that improving the lives of those segregated within our prisons requires the world of solitary confinement to become anchored within the broader legal and social context.

Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2009. / Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 73 p. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis examines representations of solitary confinement at four penal history museums in the province of Ontario, Canada: the Olde Gaol Museum in Lindsay, the L’Orignal Old Jail in L’Orignal, the Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives in Brampton, and Kingston Penitentiary in Kingston. Engaging with Brown’s (2009) theory of “penal spectatorship” and Cohen’s (2001) work on states of denial, I investigate how these representations of solitary confinement challenge and/or reinforce the idea that segregation is a necessary practice in operational carceral institutions. I identify three dominant themes. The first theme is who ends up in solitary confinement and why. The museums justify the necessity of solitary confinement by emphasizing its usefulness in neutralizing dangerous and unpredictable prisoners, along with its supposed ability to promote prisoner protection and the management of mental health needs. The second theme pertains to the duration prisoners spend in solitary confinement and the conditions they experience. The museums do not problematize prisoners’ length of stay in solitary confinement, nor the conditions of the cells in which they are held, rather historical penal discourses are used to demonstrate improvements over time, without problematizing its present uses. The third theme arising from my analysis concerns the impacts of solitary confinement on prisoners. The museums emphasize the positive effects that solitary confinement can have on prisoners such as providing the opportunity for contemplation, while information on the negative effects of isolation including exacerbating or triggering mental health issues are largely absent. Taking these findings into consideration, I argue that the penal history museums I examined foster social distance between visitors and those in conflict with the law by legitimating the exclusion of the latter, while reinforcing the idea that solitary confinement is a necessary practice in carceral institutions today. .

This thesis document is a presentation of the process and production of my play, 800 Days of Solitude: A Conjuring, which was presented in the Moe Theater Lab March 22 through 25 2018. This play endeavored to tell the story of a young man who was wrongfully imprisoned, and then forced into solitary confinement. Chapter 1 contains a detailed account of the pre-writing process, including early inspirations, impressions of what the play might be, and character bios. Chapter 2 is a narrative account of the writing of 800 Days of Solitude: A Conjuring, along with key inspirations and how I used them to shape the text. Chapter 3 recounts the pre-production process, including production meetings with the director and design team, the process of auditions, and rehearsals. Chapter 4 discusses the production of 800 Days of Solitude: A Conjuring. Chapter 5 is the Conclusion, wherein I reflect on my time before SIU, as well as my time here. I then revisit my goals and weigh in on whether I achieved them. Then I speculate on what the future may bring. This is followed by the Works Cited. Appendix A contains the production script of 800 Days of Solitude: A Conjuring, followed by a gloss of terms. Appendix B contains an early draft of 800 Days of Solitude: A Conjuring.

abstract: Many working in the criminal justice system and beyond are trying to ascertain whether there should be continued use of restricted housing or solitary confinement. This study examines knowledge of and general support for restrictive housing. Using randomly assigned, factorial vignettes, the survey manipulates populations and reasons for placement in restrictive housing to determine situational support for the correctional practice. Results indicate that among a sample of students (N=363), little is known about restrictive housing, despite substantial exposure to both fiction and nonfiction media on the subject. Averages of approval ratings indicate the public is neutral on whether the practice is humane, including its placement procedures and conditions, though there was slight disapproval of the placement of mentally ill inmates in segregation. Analysis shows that age, some reasons for placement, whether placement is voluntary, and extreme durations of time in isolation are significantly associated with public approval. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2017

Introduction and Background: Solitary confinement has been a controversial topic in recent years among jail and prison systems. Solitary Confinement is the act of isolating a person in a prison or jail for up to 23 hours a day. These long periods of isolation can cause serious mental and physical damages to a human. Purpose Statement: The purpose of this research is to understand the effects, both mental and physical, that solitary confinement has on a person. How does solitary confinement effect a person’s body and mind, and what interventions can be used to help prevent these changes? Literature Review: Key terms used in research involved “nursing” and “solitary confinement effects.” 15 studies were used in the research. Data bases searched involved Findings: Our findings tell us that both physical and mental damages are done to people in confinement, and the damages get worse the longer they are confined. Anger towards the legal systems and loss of empathy are some damages that occurred even for years after solitary time was finished. Conclusions: The take home message is that solitary confinement does more harm than good for almost anyone that spends time in confinement. There needs to be better interventions in helping these people such as promoting exercise and behavior cognitive therapy. There are better ways to handle people in prisons than to isolate them and cause massive damage to their health.

No description available.

Background: Segregation, within the context of this study, is the removal of a prisoner from the wider prison to an environment that is regimented and controlling, and functions through enforced solitude. There is very little research that explores this environment from the perspective of the prisoners who experience it. By using the voices of the prisoners this study provides rich description of the conceptual understanding of how they and resolved their segregation experiences. Research Aim: The aim of this research was to develop a grounded theory of how prisoners gave meaning to their segregated environment experience. Methodology: This study was guided by a constructivist epistemology and the principles and process of grounded theory (Constructivist Grounded Theory) as described by Glaser, Strauss, and Charmaz. Data was gathered from a participant group of prisoners who were experiencing, or had experienced within the previous two months, time in segregation, from one specific Category A prison, as well as comparable case studies. Data was collected through semi structured interviews, and case study documentary analysis, and analysed using the concurrent processes of constant comparative analysis, data collection, and theoretical sampling. Results: The participants expressed that the main concern of their time in segregation was a desire to survive this experience. They expressed this desire, and the actions and behaviours necessary to achieve it, through a process conceptualised as reframing contextual power. This has three 'subcategories‘ 'Power Posturing', 'Power Positioning', and 'Power Playing', each comprising of further subdivisions of the conceptualisation of the participants main concern. These consisted of 'Knowing Fixed Rules', 'Reading Emergent Rules', 'Relating', 'Resistance', 'Being Bad', 'Being Mad', and 'Being Cool'. Power was the major interlinking concept and this was fundamental to the strategies and actions necessary for the participants to achieve their main concern. While presented as three distinct 'subcategories‘ they are neither independent nor hierarchical, rather they are interconnected and interlinked. The participants were active in the utilisation and enactment of power actions and not passive recipients of power. A theoretical exploration of the power inherent in reframing contextual power demonstrated that no one theory or approach can sufficiently explain power within this context. It is proposed that, drawing from a number of theorists, an integrated approach to viewing and understanding such power is required to allow for a more sophisticated understanding of how the participants reframe contextual power. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide a method of understanding how the participants engaged with, and utilised complex strategies to survive the segregated environment experience. The findings also contribute to how we understand the processes of power within this current (and similar) context(s). I consider that the uniqueness of this thesis is important as it contributes to the extant body of knowledge in this field and thus offers a salient message relating to the (potential) future of segregation and the solitary confinement of prisoners.

There is limited research measuring public opinion about the correctional practice of solitary confinement (SC). Given that public opinion can influence policies, it is important to determine whether or not one's beliefs can be updated upon receiving information about the use and effect of SC. Prior research indicates that public opinion is malleable, and thus, may be susceptible to modification. Though, people may be more willing to update their beliefs when the information they receive confirms their existing beliefs (i.e., confirmation bias). This study used an experimental design in which participants were asked to provide their opinions on a series of statements designed to measure their support for SC. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions that provided differing messages about the use of SC through brief, informational videos. Participants were either told that SC is a necessary tool to maintain order within prisons, or that SC is harmful to those who experience it. Following the intervention, participants' support for SC was re-measured and their change in score was calculated. Analyses indicated that participants who received information stating that SC is harmful decreased their support for the practice, while those who received information stating it was necessary increased their support for its use. To test for confirmation bias, participants were presented a survey instrument designed to measure their existing support for punishment. The findings indicate that participants had greater belief changes when presented with disconfirming information. These effects were more pronounced when examining moderating demographic variables. The research and policy implications of this study's findings are discussed.