Solitary Torture

IN MY HUMAN development class recently, the instructor showed a documentary about a 13-year-old girl with the pseudonym Genie. Her parents kept her in isolation for most of her life, until a social worker discovered her. Genie was kept in a room, tied to a chair, with virtually no human contact. She was “uncivilized” and could barely walk or talk. While my classmates gasped in horror at the video, I found myself relating to her.

I had been incarcerated in a California juvenile hall for four-and-a-half years. Roughly two months of that time was spent in solitary confinement—the longest stretch was six weeks. Like Genie, I was isolated in a room for 23 to 24 hours a day.

My classmates thought that Genie’s parents were “monsters” and “horrible” people. I wondered how many of them knew that we live in a country where youth and adults are commonly put in similar conditions for months or even years.

Today about 100,000 people—including thousands of youth—are held in solitary confinement housing units in juvenile facilities and adult jails and prisons across the United States. Systems use solitary confinement, or isolation, to keep individuals safe from themselves or others and for punishment. Solitary confinement has been linked to depression, anti-social behavior, anxiety, psychological damage, and self-harm. We now understand that solitary confinement does not keep us safe and does more harm than good, especially to youth who are still developing, physically and mentally.

In January, President Obama banned the use of solitary confinement for youth at the federal level and adopted sweeping Department of Justice reforms to drastically reduce the use of solitary for adults in federal prisons, banning it for low-level infractions. This was a big step forward, even though it directly impacts only 10,000 federal prisoners, and fewer than 30 youth. The real impact is the message it sends to state and local systems, which hold the largest share of incarcerated people.

Many people who come out after experiencing isolation have trouble adapting back into society. When I was released, my social skills were nonexistent and my communication skills were very poor. Big crowds made me anxious. I was scared to go to school because I felt like I was under constant threat and I was afraid of how I would react. Sometimes I felt depressed. I spent the majority of my time in my room at home, because it was the only place I felt comfortable. I had become institutionalized.

However, I was lucky. I had a support system to keep me on track. But what about the youth or adults who don’t receive the help or services they need? Is it a surprise that they find themselves struggling or in some cases back in jail? The juvenile justice system is supposed to rehabilitate youth, not make them worse by placing them in isolation—sometimes for reasons as minor as talking back to staff. And adult jails and prisons should be able to hold people accountable for crimes without torturing them. Incarcerated youth and adults need mental-health services, education, and opportunities to grow and change.

Genie never recovered from the isolation she experienced, and was never able to integrate into society. The same is true of many people who have experienced solitary confinement. Enough damage has been done to our incarcerated brothers and sisters. If it doesn’t stop now, when will it?

Even before President Obama’s announcement, some states had begun reducing their use of solitary confinement, but it will take a strong movement of people who care about real justice to end this practice. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is uniting faith communities against solitary confinement in prisons and has created a replica solitary cell to spread awareness. In April, several organizations formally launched a campaign called Stop Solitary for Kids. It’s time to end this heinous practice.