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Read and Vote: Does solitary confinement have a place in our prisons? [View all]
The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Dec. 10 2014, 10:16 AM EST
Last updated Wednesday, Dec. 10 2014, 2:38 PM EST
The Globe's series on the prison death of Edward Snowshoe has sparked a national discussion. Two penal experts share their views on the effectiveness of solitary confinement
The Debate
The Globe and Mail’s investigation into the prison death of Edward Snowshoe has provoked a national conversation about the use of solitary confinement in prisons. Solitary (known in the prison system as segregation) is widely used in Canada, and prison officials and some penal-system scholars argue that it is an important tool in maintaining prison security. But the suicide deaths of Mr. Snowshoe in 2010 and of 19-year-old Ashley Smith in 2007, and the recent investigations and inquiries into the prison conditions that led to those deaths, have raised questions about the use and abuse of solitary confinement. Should the practice be abolished entirely, or regulated more strictly? We have brought together two experts to debate this question. Read their arguments, and use the box on the right to vote.
I agree with this argument:
Kim Pate:
The Canadian Medical Association has called solitary “cruel and usual punishment,” noting that social isolation and lack of stimulation too often result in feelings of anxiety, depression and anger, increasing the risk of self-injurious and suicidal responses in prisoners.
In 2011, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment called for an absolute ban on its imposition on youth and those with mental health issues. He declared solitary confinement contrary to the successful rehabilitation and reintegration needs of prisoners – something in which we all have an investment.
Recently, Canada’s own Correctional Investigator reported that 14 of 30 prisoner suicides in the past three years occurred in segregation, which elevates suicide risk. Most prisoners who died in segregation had a documented history of mental health issues, but counselling intervention is rarely offered to those who’ve been isolated.
Given this context, Canadians are questioning why the practice continues.
(72% of those who voted also agreed with her).
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/read-and-vote-does-solitary-confinement-have-a-place-in-our-prisons/article22020968/
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