Thomas Silverstein sits alone in a small, empty room with insulated walls, depriving him of all sight and sound, awaiting his only human interaction, as a prison guard silently hands the inmate his food provisions. This room knows only one dim lighting level to give absolutely no indication as to what time it is, whether it’s night or day. He’s been in solitary confinement for the last 29 years for murdering a prison guard. He’s been convicted of four murders while imprisoned, yet the Marion Penitentiary in Illinois continues to keep him in solitary confinement. Connection? I’d say so. Silverstein justly argues that it’s these inhuman conditions that are driving him.
There’s a reason solitary confinement is considered dangerous by mental health specialists, accurately portraying it for what it is: a form of cruel and unusual punishment. There’s a reason the eighth amendment prohibits such treatment. Many psychologists have agreed that solitary confinement creates mental instability in often already clinically insane prisoners, making a return to society difficult. Therefore, the United States should ban solitary confinement, and it should be considered capital punishment.
Often referred to as “the hole,” solitary confinement inflicts a tremendous amount of suffering upon the prisoner. Although not physical pain, the psychological effect of sitting in the blank, empty cell has been described as maddening. Losing consciousness of time, one of the most abstract concepts ever conceived, contributes to this. This method of punishment has been proven to directly cause existential crises, making the point of putting prisoners into this confinement for suicide watch, argued by proponents, null and void. It’s counterintuitive.
This form of incarceration can be loosely defined as psychological torture, infringing upon our basic constitutional rights that we, as a country, are so very proud of. The sensory deprivation leads to hallucinations and changes in perception prompted by an increased sensitivity to stimuli. Prisoners have reported anxiety, headaches, sleeping problems and many other cognitive issues. So if we’re placing these prisoners in a setting where psychoses are proven to be likely to develop, why do we do so? It’s inhumane. And for those who believe that these murderers or other felons are “getting what they deserve,” imagine spending 23 hours in a room by yourself daily for years, and years and years. Inmates like William Blake of Elmira Correctional Facility in New York say they’d rather die than be in solitary confinement, and so would I. Because of this, it’s crucial that our penitentiary system bans solitary confinement. Of course, you’d need an alternative. Why not do the exact opposite and overstimulate their senses? That wouldn’t work either. Extreme ends of spectrum have been often shown as bad, much like being considered a socialist or capitalist isn’t good. Extremism is rarely good, unless you’re trying to be hyperbolic or funny. Instead, why not offer a mixed approach, offering counseling and then some, but not too much solitude. They won’t go mad, and it would cost roughly about the same price as hiring two prison guards. Personally, imagining myself in the situation of solitary confinement is excruciating, and I wouldn’t wish the experience upon anyone.