Define solitary confinement and list two major concerns for inmate welfare.

• A. Isolation from meaningful social contact and activities for most of the day; concerns include mental health deterioration and human rights criticisms.
• B. Time-out for misbehavior lasting 15 minutes; concerns include noise.
• C. Regular solitary exercise; concerns include fatigue.
• D. Isolation only at night; concerns include sleep.

Answer: (C)

Solitary confinement means locking a prisoner alone in a cell for most of the day, with little to no social contact or meaningful activity. This prolonged isolation can have serious effects on a person’s well-being. Two major concerns for inmate welfare are mental health deterioration—such as increased anxiety, depression, and distress that can worsen with time—and human rights criticisms, which argue that extended isolation constitutes cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and raises serious ethical and legal questions. Descriptions that focus on short time-outs, isolated exercise, or isolation occurring only at night don’t capture the sustained isolation and the substantial welfare impacts that solitary confinement entails.