According to Columbia University’s new study, nearly 10 percent of black men are in solitary confinement in America by 32 years old.
A group of researchers from the Columbia, led by graduate student Hannah Pullen-Blasnik, analyzed the number of prisoners put into solitary confinement between 2007 and 2018 in Pennsylvania – which they argue is representative of the larger United States due to similar prisoner demographics reported throughout the country
They found in their study published Friday that about 11 percent of black men had been placed in solitary confinement for at least one day by the time they were 32, compared to 3.4 percent of Latino men and 1.35 percent of white men.
Additionally, the authors found that 9 percent of all black men in Pennsylvania born between 1986 to 1989 had been held in solitary confinement for at least 15 consecutive days by the age of 32, and nearly one in 100 had been locked in solitary confinement for at least a full year by that age.
The term “solitary confinement” refers to the condition in which a prisoner is isolated from others for more than 22 hours per week. This can lead to mental illness and has been banned by the United Nations for longer than 15 days.
However, the authors of this study note that disparities in those in isolation confinement may be due to the fact that black men are incarcerated at higher rates than white men in America.
They accounted for 47.8 percent in Pennsylvania’s prison population. This is despite them making up less than 12 percent in Pennsylvania’s overall population.
Columbia University published a study on Friday that found nearly 10 per cent of American black men are in solitary confinement in America by 32 years old.
According to the authors, black men make up more of the prison population that white men and Latino men.
Black prisoners are more likely than Latino and white prisoners to remain in isolation for longer than 15 days.
Pullen-Blasnik, Jessica Simes, and Bruce Western conducted a longitudinal study to determine the prevalence of solitary confinement in the Pennsylvania population. They found that approximately half of all Pennsylvania prisoners between 2007-2018 were in solitary confinement at the least once.
According to the researchers, 1.5% of state’s 1986-89 birth cohort were held in isolation for more than one day between the ages of 32 and 32. Nearly 60 percent spent their time in solitary confinement while compared with 3.4 percent in Latino men or 1.4 percent in white men.
According to the study the danger of isolation for black men at 32 is higher than for white men. Latinos, on the other hand, are more likely to experience solitary confinement.
However, the study also showed that administrative custody was more common for white males who were a danger to prison staff or other inmates. The rate ranged from 58.3 to 43.8%.
Yet, black males were more likely to end up in disciplinary custody for violating the prison rules. They also had higher rates of being placed there than white prisoners for verbal threats.
The term “solitary confinement” refers to the complete isolation of a prisoner within a cell, for up to 22 hours each day. There is little or no contact with other prisoners or stimulation.
Over the years it has become controversial, with prison rights activists asserting that it can cause long-term psychological damage.
Recent years have seen a lot of controversy surrounding the practice of placing prisoners in solitary confinement. Prison rights activists claim that it can do more harm than good.
They point to research showing solitary confinement can lead to anxiety and PTSD, with a 2019 study concluding those held in solitary confinement for any amount of time are 78 percent more likely to kill themselves within one year of being released from prison and are 127 percent more likely to die of an overdose in the first two weeks of their release compared to prisoners who were not put in solitary confinement.
Tamara Walsh, an Australian University student, says that solitary confinement almost never is justified because of the many more effective and humane ways of disciplining prisoners.
According to her, prison violence can be decreased by offering structured activities like board games and skills training; making sure that inmates suffering from mental illness receive the appropriate treatment; giving time for their families; and connecting them to nature.
“Even in cases where people are violent and aggressive,. Walsh said to The New Scientist that restraint chairs can be used to keep them away from others and allow social engagement.
States like New York and Colorado have now banned solitary confinement from being used for 15 consecutive days in accordance with the UN rules, and are experimenting with alternatives, New Scientist reported, with Colorado officials testing out short-term ‘time out’ cells.