Isolation, incarceration, and the COVID-19 pand… (2024)

Isolation, incarceration, and the COVID-19 pand… (1) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297518 · Isolation, incarceration, and the COVID-19 pand… (2)

Journal: PLOS ONE, 2024, №2, p.e0297518

Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Authors:

  1. Alana Rosenberg
  2. Lisa B. Puglisi
  3. Kathryn A. Thomas
  4. Alexandra A. Halberstam
  5. Rosemarie A. Martin
  6. Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein
  7. Emily A. Wang

Funder National Institute on Drug Abuse

Abstract

For the millions of people incarcerated in United States’ prisons and jails during the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation took many forms, including medical isolation for those sick with COVID-19, quarantine for those potentially exposed, and prolonged facility-wide lockdowns. Incarcerated people’s lived experience of isolation during the pandemic has largely gone undocumented. Through interviews with 48 incarcerated people and 27 staff at two jails and one prison in geographically diverse locations in the United States, we document the implementation of COVID-19 isolation policies from the perspective of those that live and work in carceral settings. Incarcerated people were isolated from social contact, educational programs, employment, and recreation, and lacked clear communication about COVID-19-related protocols. Being isolated, no matter the reason, felt like punishment and was compared to solitary confinement—with resultant long-term, negative impacts on health. Participants detailed isolation policies as disruptive, detrimental to mental health, and dehumanizing for incarcerated people. Findings point to several recommendations for isolation policy in carceral settings. These include integrating healthcare delivery into isolation protocols, preserving social relationships during isolation, promoting bidirectional communication about protocols and their effect between facility leadership and incarcerated people. Most importantly, there is an urgent need to re-evaluate the current approach to the use of isolation in carceral settings and to establish external oversight procedures for its use during pandemics.

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About this publication

Number of citations 0
Number of works in the list of references 40
Journal indexed in Scopus Yes
Journal indexed in Web of Science Yes

ASJC classification

1000 Multidisciplinary
Isolation, incarceration, and the COVID-19 pand… (2024)

FAQs

What are the effects of isolation on prisoners? ›

Research shows that the effects of solitary confinement on mental health are often fatal, both during and after incarceration. Half of all suicides in prisons and jails occur in solitary confinement.

Read More ›
How did COVID affect incarceration? ›

BJS's survey to measure the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. prisons from the end of February 2020 to the end of February 2021 found that the number of persons in the custody of state, federal, or privately operated prisons under state or federal contract decreased more than 16%.

Explore More ›
Is isolation the worst place for a prisoner? ›

Solitary confinement increases the risk of torture or ill-treatment going unnoticed and undetected, and it can in itself constitute torture and ill-treatment, in particular where it is prolonged or indefinite.

Continue Reading ›
Why would you be put in isolation in jail? ›

A: Prisoners can be placed in isolation for many reasons, from serious infractions, such as fighting with another inmate, to minor ones, like talking back to a guard or getting caught with a pack of cigarettes. Other times, prisoners are thrown into solitary confinement for not breaking any rules at all.

Show Me More ›
How long can a human survive in isolation? ›

Some people can spend hours or days in confinement, while others can spend weeks, months, or even years. In extreme cases, people can spend decades in solitary confinement. In 2016, Albert Woodfox reentered society after spending more than 40 years in isolation.

Read More ›
What is it called when a prisoner is isolated? ›

Solitary confinement, also known as isolation or administrative segregation, is when a prisoner is placed in a cell away from other prisoners, with limited contact with others.

See Details ›
What was the biggest effect of COVID-19? ›

The COVID-19 Pandemic has altered human existence's political, environmental, and economic elements, which affect psychological growth and sustainability. This impacts people's living standards and quality of life. The COVID-19 era resulted in social problems and international crises in the early 2020's (30).

Get More Info ›
How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted? ›

The pandemic has affected the public's mental health and well-being in a variety of ways, including through isolation and loneliness, job loss and financial instability, and illness and grief.

Continue Reading ›
What are all the impacts of COVID-19? ›

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of human health, including physical, oral, and psychological well-being. The most common physical symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, while long-term consequences include chronic fatigue and organ damage.

Read On ›
Why is isolation the worst punishment? ›

Solitary confinement is an extreme and brutal form of social isolation used widely as punishment in prisons. However, research shows that the practice is not only ineffective, but also has severe mental and physical health consequences. It is time we end this inhumane practice.

Read The Full Story ›

Is isolation a bad punishment? ›

This is employed to separate them from the general prison population and prevent injury or death. A robust body of research has shown that solitary confinement has profound negative psychological, physical, and neurological effects on those who experience it, often lasting well beyond one's time in solitary.

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What is the most isolated jail? ›

Facilities in ADX Florence Prison. According to SF Gate, ADX Florence is the only prison specifically designed to keep every occupant in near-total solitary confinement. The facility takes up 21 acres of land, holding dangerous male prisoners who require high levels of security.

Discover More Details ›
Do they turn the lights off in solitary confinement? ›

Inmates must remain in their cells, which measure 7 by 14 feet, for 23 hours per day. A light remains on in the cell at all times, though it is sometimes dimmed, and an inmate who attempts to shield the light to sleep is subject to further discipline.

Show Me More ›
What states have banned solitary confinement? ›

Since 2009, 42 states have established laws restricting or eliminating solitary confinement. Some states, like New York, Pennsylvania and Louisiana, have banned the punishment for whole classes of people including children, those with serious mental illness, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and pregnant people.

Read More ›
What's the longest someone has been in solitary confinement? ›

Wallace and Woodfox served more than 40 years each in solitary, the "longest period of solitary confinement in American prison history".

Get More Info Here ›
What are some psychological effects that solitary confinement has on inmates? ›

Such studies have found that placement in solitary confinement has been associated with symptoms of increased psychological distress, such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, and aggression [14–16].

Read The Full Story ›
How do inmates feel about solitary confinement? ›

Additionally, they frequently exhibit symptoms of anxiety that vary from low levels of stress to severe panic attacks. Isolated inmates also experience symptoms of depression, such as hopelessness, mood swings, and withdrawal. These depressive symptoms may even escalate to thoughts of self-harm and suicide.

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What are the psychological effects of isolation? ›

Impact of Social Isolation on Your Mental Health

Studies show that feelings of isolation can be linked to: Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Less restful sleep. ‌Decreased ability to regulate eating.

Discover More ›
What are the psychiatric effects of solitary confinement? ›

Grassian,16 during his evaluation of over 200 patients, noted specific psychiatric symptoms consistently among inmates in solitary confinement, both in state and federal penitentiaries, including (1) hyperresponsivity to external stimuli, (2) perceptual distortions like illusions and hallucinations, (3) panic attacks, ...

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