Many Mentally Ill Inmates Are Kept in Solitary Confinement for Years

Dark solitary confinement cell with only a small window

Mentally ill inmates are kept in conditions unsuitable for their mental state

(Mirror Daily, United States) – A report from the federal watchdog on prisons and inmates found out some disturbing details regarding the conditions offered to mentally ill prisoners. It seems these people are kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time, do not receive all the treatment they need, and risk that their condition should get worse.

The study analyzed the conditions offered by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for inmates and was released by the Justice Department on Wednesday. They discovered how mentally ill prisoners benefit are kept inappropriate conditions for their psychological state.

Not enough measures for mentally ill inmates

BOP has indeed taken some measures regarding the conditions for such inmates with delicate situations. Even so, they didn’t manage to solve all problems, and they still have to cope with inadequate restrictive housing and unhealthy treatments.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz assessed all the steps implements by BOP to deal with these prisoners’ mental illness. Also, he observed the areas which needed improvements and the issues which could lead to the worsening of these people’s mental state.

Solitary confinement makes things worse for prisoners with psychological problems

One of the main problems in these inmates’ housing was solitary confinement. They are being kept in isolation for several years, which is harmful even for a mentally healthy person. Also, this might lead to their behavior becoming worse, causing more aggression and recidivism.

Moreover, they do not receive enough medical assistance, and the history of their illnesses is not thoroughly documented. The staff is bad at supplying them with the needed treatment, and do not receive the needed care. In fact, BOP cannot even accurately identify all inmates in need of special supervision.

BOP claimed it didn’t subject any prisoners to solitary confinement but, after the investigation, the federal officials discovered several inmates who had been kept in single-cell isolation for a few years. The Bureau accepted the recommendations in the report, but refused to comment on any of the claims.
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Melissa Gansler

Melissa calls herself Poet, essayist, and naturalist. Graduated from the University of Michigan, Melissa holds a degree in Literature. Besides English, she can also speak Chinese, German, French.