Solitary confinement and its effects on prisoners Solitary confinement is a mandatory arrangement instituted by courts or prisons that seek to punish prisoners through the use of solitary confinement. Specifically, solitary confinement can be defined as confinement in which inmates are kept in a single cell for up to twenty-three hours a day without any contact except prison staff (Shalev, 2011). There are many other terms that refer to solitary confinement such as administrative segregation, supermax facilities (this is because supermax facilities only have solitary confinement), hotbox, thehole, and security housing unit (SHU). Solitary confinement is a place where most inmates would rather not go. The reasons are many. The cells in which the prisoners are kept are very small; they have a toilet, a shelf, a desk, and a bed that contains a thin mattress (Shalev, 2011). Inmates are not allowed to have physical contact with visitors. In fact, in some facilities, they can't even see them live. Inmates cannot participate in any work activities and can only receive small amounts of educational programs on a protected circuit television if the facility offers it (Shalev, 2011). The only time inmates are allowed to leave their cell is to exercise inside a cage for about an hour a day. Most cells contain a solid door with a single slot so inmates can be handcuffed or given meals. Also, depending on the facility, they may have a small rectangular window in their cell that is extremely small. The most common way inmates communicate is by shouting because the cells are arranged in such a way that no contact can be made with other inmates. According to the middle part of the article… Long-term mental health problems -Term of “Supermax” isolation and confinement. Crime and Delinquency, 49(124), 124-154. doi:10.1177/0011128702239239Metzner, J. L., & Fellner, J. (2010). Solitary confinement and mental illness in US prisons: A challenge to medical ethics. The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 38(1), 104-108.Shalev, S. (2011). Solitary confinement and supermax prisons: An ethical and human rights analysis. Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 11, 151-183. doi:10.1080/15228932.2011.537582 Stephan, J. J. (2005). Census of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 2005. Washington: The Bureau of Justice Statistics.Zuckerman, M., Persky, H., Link, K. E., & Basu, G. K. (1968). Experimental and subjective factors determining responses to sensory deprivation, social isolation and confinement. Journal of Abnormal Psychology , 183-194.