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About Us
About Us
Rose Nyounway'27
A rising junior at Bucknell University, Rose hails from Monrovia, Liberia. She's majoring in psychology with an intended minor in computer science. She’s passionate about mental health, and she is also an advocate for social justice and equity for all. Rose enjoys getting lost in a good book and expressing her creativity through writing short stories and poems.
Omid Mohammadi '25
Omid is an ambitious senior pursuing a major in Computer Science with a minor in Studio Arts. As he approaches his final year of undergraduate studies, Omid demonstrates a keen interest in leveraging technology to create positive change in the world.
Research Question/Goal
Research Question/Goal
How do the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections' (PADOC) policies and practices regarding mental health and segregation align with quantitative data on over 280,000 incarcerated individuals, and what insights can be derived from this analysis to evaluate policy implementation, assess segregation practices, and inform potential reforms for improved mental health care and more humane treatment?
Background
Background
The use of solitary confinement for seriously mentally ill (SMI) and intellectually disabled (ID) offenders in Pennsylvania's correctional facilities has been under investigations by various private institutions and the US Department of Justice. These investigations resulted in reform recommendations for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC). However, we are concerned that PADOC has not fully implemented these recommendations, potentially leading to continued inhumane treatment of SMI/ID offenders. Our mixed methods research aims to address this gap by comparing the reform recommendations with PADOC's current housing practices and other relevant data from PADOC.
This project delves into the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ (PADOC) approach to addressing mental health concerns through a mixed method analysis of policy documents and data on more than 280,000 distinct incarcerated people. It specifically investigates the practice of restrictive housing units and the conditions of solitary confinement through examination of policies, investigations, data, and algorithms used for reception and housing classifications for incarcerated people with a mental health diagnoses. It also evaluates the adequacy and availability of mental health services to the general incarcerated population and those in solitary confinement. Utilizing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, the research draws upon documents and data from the PADOC and external sources to identify deficiencies and recommend reforms. The findings aim to improve policies and practices, promote rehabilitative approaches, and uphold humane treatment of incarcerated people’s mental health.
Posters
Posters
Resources/Tools/Skills
Resources/Tools/Skills
What skills did you use, resources that were helpful, etc
Links to investigative reports reviewed
Links to investigative reports reviewed
Links to PADOC policy documents reviewed
Links to PADOC policy documents reviewed
Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Incarceration Data provided by PADOC on Incarcerated Individuals between 1972-2017.
Used Jupyter Notebook for analysis
Findings
Findings
Inadequate Mental Health Services: psychological services provided to SMI/ID offenders in solitary confinement are minimal, with some receiving only in-cell treatment, which is largely ineffective. The DOJ and DRN found that the mental health care provided does not meet clinical psychological standards.
Extensive Use of Solitary Confinement for SMI/ID Offenders: offenders with SMI/ID are disproportionately placed in solitary confinement, DOJ findings and external investigations show that PADOC has failed to implement meaningful alternatives to restrictive housing for SMI offenders.
Underreporting of SMI/ID Offenders: PADOC has historically undercounted the number of offenders with mental health conditions, leading to wrongful housing classification and inadequate treatment provisions. DOJ reports indicate inconsistencies in how PADOC identifies and categorizes inmates with SMI/ID.
Limited Implementation of Reform Policies: despite numerous external reviews and lawsuits, PADOC has made only superficial changes to its solitary confinement policies. Settlement agreements and legal challenges have not significantly reduced the number of SMI/ID offenders in solitary confinement, PADOC’s internal reports suggest minimal progress in reducing solitary confinement.
Reflection
Reflection
This research journey deepened our understanding of the systemic issues within the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ (PADOC) treatment of incarcerated individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of data, policy documents, investigation reports, and testimonies, We were able to critically assess the gap between PADOC’s written policies and the lived realities of incarcerated individuals. It became clear to us that despite recommendations from the Department of Justice, Disability Rights Network, and the VERA Institute, meaningful reforms have been slow and incomplete. Our investigation highlighted how solitary confinement is often misused as a substitute for proper mental health services, reinforcing the urgent need for systemic change.
We are deeply grateful to the Mozilla Foundation for supporting this research and making it possible for projects like ours to shed light on critical human rights issues. We are also sincerely thankful to our research advisors, whose mentorship and guidance throughout this project have been invaluable.
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