Oral

In the United States, it is estimated that more than 80,000 prisoners are held in solitary confinement, most for disciplinary reasons, and some because supermax prisoners hold all inmates in isolation. This session explores the practice of solitary confinement, both in prisons and in immigration detention facilities, and what is known and needs to be known about the physical and mental impacts of solitary confinement including the experiences of prisoners held in solitary. It will review how solitary confinement should be understood from the standpoint of constitutional and human rights law and the role of the public health community in addressing the problem of solitary confinement

Session Objectives: Describe the practice of solitary confinement in the U.S. in prisons and immigration detention facilities Explain what is known about the physical and mental health impacts of solitary confinement Identify the role of the public health community in ameliorating the use of solitary confinement