In 2010, 16-year-old Kalief Browder was arrested and accused of stealing a backpack. His family was unable to afford bail, so he was sent to jail. Of the 1,111 days that Kalief spent in jail awaiting his trial, two thirds were spent in solitary confinement. The robbery charges against him were eventually dismissed, but he had missed the last two years of high school and even his graduation. He felt the system had “robbed him of his happiness.” After his release from jail, he explained, “...in my mind right now I feel like I’m still in jail, because I’m still feeling the side effects from what happened in there.” In June 2015, he committed suicide.

In the early 1800s, systems of confinement and labor were developed to deal with criminals, replacing hangings or public beatings. It was thought that prisoners placed in isolation could reflect on their misbehavior. Subsequently, solitary confinement became a widespread practice.

Today, solitary confinement is often used to remove dangerous and violent criminals from the general prison population. However, it can also be imposed as a punishment for violating prison rules. While in solitary confinement, prisoners are kept in closed cells for 22–24 hours per day. Food is pushed through a small hole in the metal door. Often the cells have no windows and a light is kept on all day and night.

The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the use of “cruel and unusual punishment.” Many critics of solitary confinement point to the mental and physical suffering caused by long-term isolation. The United Nations considers more than 15 days in a row in solitary confinement to be a form of torture. But Kalief Browder spent around 10 straight months in isolation after being a victim in a fight.

Supporters of solitary confinement argue that it keeps prisoners and prison guards safe. For example, solitary confinement can be used to protect a prisoner at risk because of race, sexual orientation, or religion. In fact, when Kalief went to prison, his brother told him to break a rule and get sent to solitary if he felt threatened. The federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, has 490 solitary confinement units, and was created in response to the murders of two prison guards on the same day in Ohio. Prison workers already perform a dangerous and risky job, and solitary confinement allows them to feel protected from the most dangerous inmates while performing their job duties.

When, if ever, do you think solitary confinement should be used?