Solitary Confinement Flashcards
What are the three uses of solitary confinement?
1 - managing inmates who present a serious risk of harm to themselves or others.
2 - disciplinary action.
3 - protect vulnerable inmates.
what is solitary confinement?
When inmates are signed to isolate from the rest of the prison population for most or all of the 24 hour day. Can last from days to years or even decades.
What is disciplinary segregation?
The use of segregated housing for punitive means.
What is protective custody?
Protection from self-harm or harm from other inmates.
What is Administrative segregation?
Inmates that pose a threat or risk to staff or other inmates are put in segregated housing.
who is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system?
The US Federal Bureau of Prisons, a subdivision of the US Department of Justice.
What were the four mental health policy revisions by the US Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2014?
1 - Mental Health Services provided for all inmates in restrictive housing.
2 - mental health screening to make sure severely mentally ill inmates are not put into solitary housing.
3 - severely mentally ill inmates are excluded from solitary unless there are extraordinary security concerns – these inmates receive individualized treatment programs.
4 - reviewing mental health issues as part of the disciplinary process.
What factors does the Bureau of Prisons consider when classifying seriously mentally ill?
diagnoses, Severity/ duration of symptoms, degree of functional impairment, treatment of History.
what are other terms for solitary confinement?
Special housing unit
segregation unit
administrative segregation
what are the psychological effects link to solitary confinement?
Loneliness, confusion, agitation, self-injury, and suicidality.
what are two causes of greater risk for mentally ill prisoners placed in solitary confinement?
1 - isolation.
2 - Loss of treatment for their psychiatric condition during their period of confinement.
What are 4 factors in inadequate Mental Health Systems in prisons that increase the use of solitary confinement?
1 - inadequate screening, which causes mental illness to go unrecognized and leads to Greater punishment of behaviour.
2 - a lack of resources to treat identified mentally ill individuals.
3- misinterpreting self-harm or impulsive violence as behavioural issues rather than symptoms of mental illness.
4 - mental health professionals being marginalized within prison culture.
