In the challenge It was really hard to do. I kind of lasted in there the whole 30 minutes but I did think a lot. When I was in there, I was thinking about life a lot and I couldn’t stop. Every emotion was running through my head. It was stressful because when you think about you are locked in a little room with nothing but a toilet and a bed and its cold in there. I would have been scared to be around dangerous people because you will never know what can happen to you. Our mental state can change a lot in there to what we think we are capable of doings things. When I was in there, I would sing a lot and do beats in my head. I think if I was in there for a long time, I think I would write a whole song, I lobe to sing. I see now when people get out of jail, they become rappers and rap about things they have done and experiences in their life’s. it’s just so boring being in there because we have nothing to do in there. In jail you have a roommate but no telling if you will get along because you are housed with people that did different crimes and just imagine if you are in jail for a traffic ticket and roomed with someone who murdered someone. It sucks but that’s the choice you wanted to make and I don’t know if I would ever survive in there. -babyblue711
I underwent an interesting experiment. The experiment I participated in conceded of a simple room, the small room being the bath room. The idea of this experiment was to gain a limited experience in what solitary confinement may feel like. This experiment was only 30 minutes, while for some prisoner’s solitary confinement is a life time sentence. One cannot fathom the depth of such a sentence unless through personal experience. For most, solitary confinement rooms are around ten feet by ten feet. For my experiment I went to our bath room, due to the size and lack of visual stimulations. The bath room in itself measured six by ten. Which is just slightly smaller than the average solitary confinement cell. Within the first five minutes, I decided to turn off the lights. I felt that I was getting distracted and losing sight of the goal that was driving the experiment. After the lights were turned off, the small space felt even smaller than before. A few minutes in, my thoughts were wondering to the many things I had to get done once I was out. I wondered if I was going to be able to hear the timer I had set outside the door. Yet I continued, some minutes after, I became slightly anxious. I began to worry some if I had even pressed the correct button to start the timer. Then I thought, I wonder how long I’d be “stuck” in the bath room before I realized the timer wasn’t working. Through this experiment, I learned how anxiety can play with your thoughts. I also have more empathy for those who have a solitary confinement sentence. Before this experiment, I hadn’t considered what it might be like to be so constricted in a single room. It has changed my thoughts for this kind of punishment. I feel that over an extensive period of time, solitary confinement can produce mental disorders. -CoalRoller711
While conducting this experiment, it brought a lot of things to my attention. To start off I would just like to say that this was quite possibly the longest 30 minutes of my life. 30 minutes isn't even that long, but it felt like I was in that bathroom forever. I did last the whole 30 minutes, but I couldn't imagine serving a prison sentence while being in solitary confinement. I first off tried to pass the time, by doing numerous exercises such as pushups, situps, burpees, numerous exercises that don't require anything but your body. Working out only lasted about 10 minutes, before I burned myself out as much as I could. I prepared myself before starting the experiment with a book to see if that would help pass the time. I personally do not like reading books, so it did not help pass the time at all. That only lasted for about 10 minutes. So at that point I was out of ideas, and I still had 10 minutes to pass. That is when I sat down on the floor and began to think. I started to think about everything in my life, I thought about the good and the bad in my life. While sitting there on the bathroom floor, I really felt thankful for everything I have in my life because things could be much worse. This experiment was a very cool experiment, and opened my eyes way more than I thought it would. Like I stated that it made me appreciate all the things that I have in my life, it made me realize that people who are in solitary confinement have to deal with this kind of treatment day in and day out. I think solitary should be used, but only for people are truly show people that they need to be isolated from other people. I-Like-Cereal711
In this experiment, even though it was for a short amount of time it really just allows you a ton of time to think about things. It is good to think about things but when that is all you do all day it can not be healthy I would not think. Maybe that is why some of the people in prisons have some mental health issues that need taken care of. They should see people more often unless they are just a danger to everyone. During my time sitting there I was thinking a lot about life and when I got tired of doing that, which was about five to ten minutes into the experiment, I just tried to sit there and relax, which really was not any better. I do not know how quiet it is to be in a jail cell but it was extremely quiet in the little room I was in. I could actually hear my lights making a noise and that was what I was focused on for a while. I could hear the lights in the room and the vents pushing air into the room and that was about it. I also spent a lot of time looking at the wall, mainly because it was the only thing really to look at. I saw a spot on the wall where the paint on the wall was messed up and so I spent the rest of my time looking at the walls in the room. I was actually pointing out every flaw there was in the paint. It is weird to feel how alone you really are in a room like that and I was only in there for thirty minutes. I also think that it would be different in a real prison, obviously. I did not want to finish out the thirty minutes that i was sitting there for and I was in a safe place. I could not imagine being in a room like that for 23 hours a day for ten years or so always having to worry about your life and what you are missing outside the prison walls. -Steel711
My experience with this experiment with solitary confinement was unsurprisingly not very much fun. Spending 30 minutes alone in a bathroom with no stimulus would be a challenge. Normally I’d probably just try and meditate as that can sometimes relax me enough to not care for half an hour. But I thought in the interest of keeping the spirit of the experiment intact I decided not to, sure in solitary I could meditate but really for how long? It’s not like I could meditate for the days, weeks, months, or even years many people spend in there. It didn’t seem right to skip over it and then try to comment on my experience of it. So what I thought I would do was just to try and keep my mind active with some fun things. At first I was able to control my thoughts, I thought about the week I had ahead of me, some of the fun stuff I have planned for break, and generally just tried to keep positive thoughts in my mind. After awhile it starts getting a little more difficult to keep the good thoughts going without bad ones slipping in and eventually taking over. I began to think about all the work I have ahead of me and the amount of work I still had to complete to finish my associates degree before the fall. Things like that started to become more prevalent. Normally in a situation like that I can do something else to keep my mind busy like reading, doing homework, video games, or working out but obviously those options weren’t available to me at the moment. In the video it seemed like the inmates did get some books which I guess must help some but the lack of human interaction all day everyday must be overwhelmingly difficult. I’ll admit I found it difficult to have sympathy for the inmates in there. Though I don’t condone the act of solitary confinement it’s hard seeing someone that killed or kidnapped someone and not thinking that that is what they deserve, and they probably do. But I think what’s more important than giving punishment is realizing many of those people could be back out in society and they will need to learn how to interact with everyone and being in solitary is only going to make things worse. Plus, it seems to me like having that kind of punishment isn’t much better than the crimes these people committed. I think we should strive to be better, as difficult as it can be I think it’s the best way to continue moving forward as a people. Avatar711
I thought this was a very interesting video. I did not know that putting criminals in solitary confinement was so expensive because it feels like it would be the exact opposite. I feel as though solitary confinement is a necessary punishment that we should use for violent offenders that keep up the violence when locked up in prison. I also think that they should not be kept in there for years on end, but if they keep acting up then I think that being put in solitary confinement for years is a good punishment. Solitary confinement does mess with your head so that is why I think that it should only be used for criminals that are acting up and being violent while they are in prison because they obviously are not good around people and they might be better off alone. I also did not realize that so many people were in prison at the time of this video. That seems like a lot of people, but at the same time not that many people. The Secretary that did this experiment must be pretty dedicated to his job to expose himself like that in the pursuit of a better system that protects the inmates and the corrections officers. I have a lot of respect for him, and think he is the correct man for his job. - Legion001
When I first opened this video I figured it would have been more media misrepresenting a topic in the criminal justice system. His first sentence I understand was meaning to grab your attention but it felt fraudulent. I had no idea that solitary bares such an expense. I would like to know where his information was behind that statement. I found it interesting to see the correctional secretary endure what the prisoners endure. It made me think if that a well educated and seemingly normal man (I would like to at least think so) could begin to slip and lose his connection with reality just after 48 hours. I had no idea that boredom in itself could drive someone to insanity. If he was starting to feel crazy already I can not imagine what other prisoners feel after years of solitary. I partially agree that solitary is sometimes necessary. If someone is so violent that they can not be put into general population prisons and that there is no way to help them mentally gain control over their aggressive behavior than solitary as a punishment is due. I feel as if it should be the last resort and even then only as a short term punishment rather than a 5 year sentence. I think it is strange that it took the secretary himself to go through the system to know that it is wrong. I believe solitary should only be used when all other methods are exhausted and there is simply no better solution to protect others. -Jackrabbit001
This video shows what solitary confinement really looks like. Gregg, the secretary of corrections for new Mexico spent 48 hours in solitary confinement to see what it was like. There is a lot of controversy over this solitary confinement, many calling it legalized torture. I think that it is torture because they don’t have access to human contact which will turn you insane. He comes out of the video saying that he doesn’t believe that it’s torture, but he was only in there for 48 hours. I think that if Gregg was held in there for a month he might think differently about it. It says in the video that we are social butterflies, and we as humans need to interact with other living things to keep our sanity. I think that being locked in a box for more than 48 hours should be considered torture and shouldn’t be used in the United States. Even after only being in there for around 24 hours, Gregg experienced some panic and Closter phobia. He said that he felt as if the walls were shrinking and he wanted to get out, so imagine how an inmate would feel after being in there a month or even a week. I predict that within the next 10 years there will be no more solitary confinement, and if there is then it will only be used for the most violent criminals like Gregg suggested. -Celtics001
I think it's interesting that Marcantel was willing to step into the shoes of an inmate. I don't know if 48 hours would be enough time for him to really understand what it can be like for them, but even in such a short amount of time it was affecting his mental health. I’m not exactly positive someone who is already an angry individual, committing violent crimes and hurting other people, would respond well to treatment like this. Maybe they aren't within the realm of rational thinking and need help to get there, but if they are locked up and the key is thrown away because they aren't acting the way humans are supposed to act in today’s society then they will never learn. I think that prisons need to move away from extremely harsh punishments like this to a more rehabilitative way of operating. Obviously a large problem with that is that you can't teach someone who isn't willing to learn, among various other problems with that line of thinking. What I’m trying to say is bad people are bad, but when you surround them with other bad people and no room to improve their lives how could they possibly be expected to magically become better people upon release. On the other hand if someone has absolutely no chance of release due to the nature of their crimes then I’m not really opposed to solitary confinement other than it almost seems like a waste of resources like guards, space, and money. These are just things that could probably be better utilized in other places although I don't actually have any clue if that's an accurate statement or not. -Waterboy001
Everytime I watch videos like this it is somewhat heartbreaking. I can't imagine being locked in a cell that is 12x7 for 23 hours a day with only one hour outside. Hearing that there is 80,000 people in solitary confinement is shocking. Considering statistics show 64% of prisoners in solitary confinement have mental illness. Study also shows this is actually an inverse reaction. You are in there for various reasons either because your considered “dangerous” or you can't stay out of trouble or other reasons however, this doesn't help all the time this is actually making people experience mental illness and making behavior worse. I feel as if this also dehumanizing and, I agree when critics state it is “legalized torture. Being locked away like that almost feels like your forgot about and nobody cares also, not even having a little human interaction Isn’t good. At least being able to eat together and talk to each other would maybe make it a little easier. I agree that solitary confinement should only be used for the “most dangerous” and when needed, it shouldn't be used for long time purposes. 21Aries001
From what I’ve learned in the video, I agree with what the Secretary of Corrections said; I agree that solitary confinement should be used, but it should be used sparingly. There are a few reasons that I believe it should remain in use. One reason is that it greatly protects the inmates from one another. It also protects the officers from the inmates. The video refers to solitary confinement as “legalized torture,” which I agree with, for the most part. I can’t imagine what it would be like for even a day in solitary confinement, much less years on end. But the inmates that would be confined for however many years are not just your average, every day civilians; they are the country’s most dangerous criminals and they have earned their way into such a terrible punishment. If a person is able and willing to murder, rape, kidnap, or commit any other unspeakable crime against another human being, they probably aren’t affected by solitary confinement the same way a “normal” person would be, such as Gregg Marcantel, the undercover inmate. Going back to Marcantel’s statement, solitary confinement should be used sparingly. Solitary confinement is three times more expensive than keeping the inmate in a normal prison block. It is also an intense form of punishment and should be reserved for the worst criminals. Drums001
The fact that an individual from high up in power decided to do an experiment like this was a good idea for a few main reasons in my opinion. Realizing how easy it is to become insane became apparent after the first day and that definitely shows that it is mentally tough on those who are locked up in solitary. However I do believe in keeping this process around, and for the same reasons as the secretary. The people that are locked up in solitary are there for a reason, a crime they committed, or for assaulting an officer who is there to protect the other inmates and the communities. If it is called inhumane to keep someone in solitary do you think it was inhumane for them to kill another person? That is where the controversy begins and I do realize that it can cause inmates to become insane and unsafe to be around for any individual but punishments must fit the crime committed. If someone murdered another and got to walk then what type of example would set for other criminals and the communities that no longer feel safe. Everything can start to snowball fast if you look at the bigger picture but some punishments are most definitely needed for certain individuals. Blues001
Throughout this video, I had a lot of thoughts about solitary confinement. In some instances I thought I was for it and then again I do not think that it in necessary. First off, I thought it was crazy that there are approximately 80,000 people in solitary confinement in our country. It is interesting that the Secretary of Corrections for New Mexico decided to experience solitary confinement. No one really knows what it is like unless they truly experience. In my opinion, it is a very good idea from someone high up in the corrections system to experience this. I thought the officer made a good point when they asked him if it was a dangerous job. He said "it's working in the lion's cage working with the lion." I will say I do not agree with the inmates only have an hour a day out of their cell. They complain about not being out of their room enough and to be honest, I do not disagree with them. Yes, they have committed bad crimes but being outside their cell for only an hour a day is a little excessive. I do 100% think solitary confinement is necessary because these inmates deserve that level of punishment. lilbaby001
Throughout this video, I had a lot of thoughts about solitary confinement. In some instances I thought I was for it and then again I do not think that it in necessary. First off, I thought it was crazy that there are approximately 80,000 people in solitary confinement in our country. It is interesting that the Secretary of Corrections for New Mexico decided to experience solitary confinement. No one really knows what it is like unless they truly experience. In my opinion, it is a very good idea from someone high up in the corrections system to experience this. I thought the officer made a good point when they asked him if it was a dangerous job. He said "it's working in the lion's cage working with the lion." I will say I do not agree with the inmates only have an hour a day out of their cell. They complain about not being out of their room enough and to be honest, I do not disagree with them. Yes, they have committed bad crimes but being outside their cell for only an hour a day is a little excessive. I do 100% think solitary confinement is necessary because these inmates deserve that level of punishment. lilbaby001
I thought it was a very respectable action for the secretary to put himself into a super-max prison. It is one thing for someone to sit in their bedroom all day that is roughly equivalent to the 12x7 cell, but it is another to know that you cannot leave. I think just the sheer amount of little creature comforts would be enough to drive a person "insane". It really shows how much we take for granted and how we never know what we have until it is gone. Not to mention that besides the lack of communication, prisons are often loud and cold-hearted places, not helping with getting a much wanted amount of sleep. This is why I sometimes not only question some of the current methods that we implement, but why I thank the correctional officers who also share some of these aspects on a day to day basis. However with all that being said I do agree with the secretary that some people are inherintly evil and should, under the right circumstances, receive such punishment. Rock001
It is interesting that the Secretary of Corrections decided to conduct an experiment on living in solitary confinement for 48 hours. It gives him a more inside perspective on what kinds of conditions the prisoners have to live through and what causes them to change drastically. After 24 hours of his experiment Greg is already experiencing some effects of confinement, such as claustrophobia. It would be hard to adjust to life from living in society to living in a small cell with little to no freedom. From the way things looked inside the cells that prisoners have to live in, it is hard to believe that it is three times as expensive to finance it than regular incarceration. One question should be is it worth spending all that money to house that many inmates in solitary confinement? It is understandable why people would see this as legalized torture but I would not think of it too much in that way. In the video another thing that the Secretary of Corrections mentions is that prisoners released from solitary confinement come out worse than when they were first brought in. I think the reason for that is because they have to adjust themselves to living in a small cell for so long affects them mentally and changes their behavior. Then after returning to society those feeling are still in there and may be triggered by certain stimuli. I agree when they say that solitary confinement should be for the most dangerous and be used sparingly. Ram001
It said that there are 80,000 people in solitary confinement in America. Not only is that a huge number but it also mentioned that being in solitary confinement has the cost of 3 times more than being a regular inmate. I think that solitary confinement is used way more than it should be. Also, I think that it was a good idea that the Secretary of Corrections in New Mexico took the time to find out for himself how it felt to be in the situation. As well to be sure as of why to reform the state's use of solitary confinement. I was amazed by the total number of people that were murdered just between the inmates, it was 138 victims. Most inmates describe solitary confinement as “perpetual misery” and feeling the most vulnerable. Towards the end of the video, once most of the inmates in solitary confinement were given the opportunity to join again with fellow inmates. One specific inmate made a comment where I felt bad more than anything. Freddy, the one who was in there for 10 years and killed two people. He said “It feels great, finally living”, once being able to interact with people. taco001
Starting this video I expected it to be misinforming and/or misleading, but the experiment itself is interesting. We didn't get that much insight on the experiment itself besides some things the Secretary of Corrections for New Mexico did. I felt kind of left in the dark on his exact thoughts, but I agree with what he said in the end, about how we have this area to protect not only our selves and the public, but also other inmates. If solitary is as bad as people say it is, then that's where the worst should go because we can't let horrible things happen and they get put in simple timeout, they need something to stick with them like a hard memory. - Lobster001
While the challenging experiment was not an extremely long amount of time in solitary confinement, it showed how stressful and mentally draining it is to be locked up in there for just fourty-eight hours. Some of the people in there have been in solitary confinement for up to ten years. I thought it was very interesting that the camera crew and the reporter were able to speak one on one with some of the inmates and tell us some of their background. The fact that the Secretary of Corrections was willing to go through with this challenge is amazing. I think that it was a great idea and gave not only him, but other people watching this video an inside look at what solitary confinement truly does to an individual. Some of the inmates that were interviewed spoke about how terrible it was being locked up all the time and not having human contact. When the challenge was over, some of the inmates were moved out of solitary confinement and into a normal prison cell. When the inmates were finally able to have human contact they spoke about how they felt like real life people again and they felt like they were actually able to live. When it comes to solitary confinement, I do not think that it should be used as often as it currently is being used today. Solitary confinement in my opinion should only be used as a punishment for those individuals who are out of control and are looking for trouble. I personally believe that solitary confinement is a great thing to have because it helps protect not only the lives of the officers working inside the prison, but also the other inmates from being harmed as well. While solitary confinement has both its pros and cons, I believe it is a necessary tool that is a must have in American prisons. -Anchorman001
I agree that solitary confinement is necessary to insure safety of staff and fellow inmates. The inmates know the rules of the prison and are expected to live in a proper and peaceful manner. When an inmate chooses to be violent, it is expected that he receives a reasonable punishment that will deter him from acting out in the future. Solitary confinement is a good way to prevent future out bursts of violent behavior due to the fact that it reduces the already limited freedom one has in prison. It keeps them away from others and prevents them from any form of communication. Its an intense form of time out. Having said that, we as humans are meant to be around other people to socialize and build relationships. Being removed from human interaction completely for too long could harm a person’s mental state in the long run. Prisons are meant to punish, but they are also meant for people to learn from their mistakes. I personally believe that keeping a person locked away in solitary confinement for more than 30 days is a form of torture. Yes, it does the job of preventing violent behavior from prisoners, but we must consider what it does to a person’s mental health in the long run. -Sexy_in_Bikini 001
This experiment is one that needed to be done, and needs to continue to be done in other parts of the nation, and in prisons around the world. From my point of view, being a forensic psychology major, the mental damage that can be done from being put into solitary confinement is what concerns me the most. Something I consider is the fact that most individuals that end up in solitary are there because of their heinous, or otherwise dangerous, acts. Generally speaking, for a person to commit the kind of crimes that end them in solitary, they are probably not in the best state mentally. With that being said, in what way does it make sense to take someone who is already in a questionable state of mind and force them to be alone with their own thoughts nearly 24 hours a day? Rather than taking the time to address a persons state of mind, and trying to help them for the better of not only themselves, but our society as a whole, we shove them into a cement hole to deteriorate further and become, in a lot of cases, even more of a danger to themselves, and possibly everyone around them. I have actually had a family member of mine be put into solitary. He is a diagnosed bipolar, and struggles with alcoholism. He was arrested while under the influence, and put into solitary. While he was in there he was not being given his medication properly while also experiencing withdraw from binge drinking. Long story short, him and his fragile mind were placed into solitary and he came out even worse in the end. Our prisons are far too focused on punishment and not enough on rehabilitation, or releasing people into the world that have a chance at being better, and bettering society. Our prisons bring in damaged people, damage them more, let them go, and then wonder why so many of them end up back in prison. psych001
In todays prisons I do think solitary confinement is a necessary evil. Not only will it improve the safety of other inmates and the staff that watches over them it will also help keep order. In a way it will mess with a prisoners mind even if he is not in it. The thought of him/her being locked away separate from others and being deprived of social interaction and the thought of an outside world beyond the prison walls will be enough to make him or her think about their actions before they act out. But while inside of Solitary confinement it can be a kind of torture. Especially if you are in there for extended amounts of time. You are given the bare minimum and deprived from the luxuries you may of had while mixed in to the population. Nothing to help the time to pass, you are just stuck there with yourself and your thoughts. Where it becomes questionable is when people who are in an altered state of mind that do act out often become a regular in solitary confinement. It will begin to take a toll on the mind and on you physically. Prisoners who may have picked up a bad habit while inside are now cut off from the drugs/objects that became essential to their everyday life. Wether it be drugs or just having the ability to work out. I would like to see it still be used in the future as it is an essential part of the prison. Purdue001
In the challenge It was really hard to do. I kind of lasted in there the whole 30 minutes but I did think a lot. When I was in there, I was thinking about life a lot and I couldn’t stop. Every emotion was running through my head. It was stressful because when you think about you are locked in a little room with nothing but a toilet and a bed and its cold in there. I would have been scared to be around dangerous people because you will never know what can happen to you. Our mental state can change a lot in there to what we think we are capable of doings things. When I was in there, I would sing a lot and do beats in my head. I think if I was in there for a long time, I think I would write a whole song, I lobe to sing. I see now when people get out of jail, they become rappers and rap about things they have done and experiences in their life’s. it’s just so boring being in there because we have nothing to do in there. In jail you have a roommate but no telling if you will get along because you are housed with people that did different crimes and just imagine if you are in jail for a traffic ticket and roomed with someone who murdered someone. It sucks but that’s the choice you wanted to make and I don’t know if I would ever survive in there. -babyblue711
ReplyDeleteAnd you had the choice to leave....Think years...POS868
ReplyDeleteI underwent an interesting experiment. The experiment I participated in conceded of a simple room, the small room being the bath room. The idea of this experiment was to gain a limited experience in what solitary confinement may feel like. This experiment was only 30 minutes, while for some prisoner’s solitary confinement is a life time sentence. One cannot fathom the depth of such a sentence unless through personal experience. For most, solitary confinement rooms are around ten feet by ten feet. For my experiment I went to our bath room, due to the size and lack of visual stimulations. The bath room in itself measured six by ten. Which is just slightly smaller than the average solitary confinement cell. Within the first five minutes, I decided to turn off the lights. I felt that I was getting distracted and losing sight of the goal that was driving the experiment. After the lights were turned off, the small space felt even smaller than before. A few minutes in, my thoughts were wondering to the many things I had to get done once I was out. I wondered if I was going to be able to hear the timer I had set outside the door. Yet I continued, some minutes after, I became slightly anxious. I began to worry some if I had even pressed the correct button to start the timer. Then I thought, I wonder how long I’d be “stuck” in the bath room before I realized the timer wasn’t working. Through this experiment, I learned how anxiety can play with your thoughts. I also have more empathy for those who have a solitary confinement sentence. Before this experiment, I hadn’t considered what it might be like to be so constricted in a single room. It has changed my thoughts for this kind of punishment. I feel that over an extensive period of time, solitary confinement can produce mental disorders. -CoalRoller711
ReplyDeleteAnd you could leave. Mental health issues are further exacerbated by such practices. Maybe we are relying on them too much? POS868
ReplyDeleteWhile conducting this experiment, it brought a lot of things to my attention. To start off I would just like to say that this was quite possibly the longest 30 minutes of my life. 30 minutes isn't even that long, but it felt like I was in that bathroom forever. I did last the whole 30 minutes, but I couldn't imagine serving a prison sentence while being in solitary confinement. I first off tried to pass the time, by doing numerous exercises such as pushups, situps, burpees, numerous exercises that don't require anything but your body. Working out only lasted about 10 minutes, before I burned myself out as much as I could. I prepared myself before starting the experiment with a book to see if that would help pass the time. I personally do not like reading books, so it did not help pass the time at all. That only lasted for about 10 minutes. So at that point I was out of ideas, and I still had 10 minutes to pass. That is when I sat down on the floor and began to think. I started to think about everything in my life, I thought about the good and the bad in my life. While sitting there on the bathroom floor, I really felt thankful for everything I have in my life because things could be much worse. This experiment was a very cool experiment, and opened my eyes way more than I thought it would. Like I stated that it made me appreciate all the things that I have in my life, it made me realize that people who are in solitary confinement have to deal with this kind of treatment day in and day out. I think solitary should be used, but only for people are truly show people that they need to be isolated from other people.
ReplyDeleteI-Like-Cereal711
In this experiment, even though it was for a short amount of time it really just allows you a ton of time to think about things. It is good to think about things but when that is all you do all day it can not be healthy I would not think. Maybe that is why some of the people in prisons have some mental health issues that need taken care of. They should see people more often unless they are just a danger to everyone. During my time sitting there I was thinking a lot about life and when I got tired of doing that, which was about five to ten minutes into the experiment, I just tried to sit there and relax, which really was not any better. I do not know how quiet it is to be in a jail cell but it was extremely quiet in the little room I was in. I could actually hear my lights making a noise and that was what I was focused on for a while. I could hear the lights in the room and the vents pushing air into the room and that was about it. I also spent a lot of time looking at the wall, mainly because it was the only thing really to look at. I saw a spot on the wall where the paint on the wall was messed up and so I spent the rest of my time looking at the walls in the room. I was actually pointing out every flaw there was in the paint. It is weird to feel how alone you really are in a room like that and I was only in there for thirty minutes. I also think that it would be different in a real prison, obviously. I did not want to finish out the thirty minutes that i was sitting there for and I was in a safe place. I could not imagine being in a room like that for 23 hours a day for ten years or so always having to worry about your life and what you are missing outside the prison walls. -Steel711
ReplyDeleteMy experience with this experiment with solitary confinement was unsurprisingly not very much fun. Spending 30 minutes alone in a bathroom with no stimulus would be a challenge. Normally I’d probably just try and meditate as that can sometimes relax me enough to not care for half an hour. But I thought in the interest of keeping the spirit of the experiment intact I decided not to, sure in solitary I could meditate but really for how long? It’s not like I could meditate for the days, weeks, months, or even years many people spend in there. It didn’t seem right to skip over it and then try to comment on my experience of it. So what I thought I would do was just to try and keep my mind active with some fun things. At first I was able to control my thoughts, I thought about the week I had ahead of me, some of the fun stuff I have planned for break, and generally just tried to keep positive thoughts in my mind. After awhile it starts getting a little more difficult to keep the good thoughts going without bad ones slipping in and eventually taking over. I began to think about all the work I have ahead of me and the amount of work I still had to complete to finish my associates degree before the fall. Things like that started to become more prevalent. Normally in a situation like that I can do something else to keep my mind busy like reading, doing homework, video games, or working out but obviously those options weren’t available to me at the moment. In the video it seemed like the inmates did get some books which I guess must help some but the lack of human interaction all day everyday must be overwhelmingly difficult. I’ll admit I found it difficult to have sympathy for the inmates in there. Though I don’t condone the act of solitary confinement it’s hard seeing someone that killed or kidnapped someone and not thinking that that is what they deserve, and they probably do. But I think what’s more important than giving punishment is realizing many of those people could be back out in society and they will need to learn how to interact with everyone and being in solitary is only going to make things worse. Plus, it seems to me like having that kind of punishment isn’t much better than the crimes these people committed. I think we should strive to be better, as difficult as it can be I think it’s the best way to continue moving forward as a people.
ReplyDeleteAvatar711
I thought this was a very interesting video. I did not know that putting criminals in solitary confinement was so expensive because it feels like it would be the exact opposite. I feel as though solitary confinement is a necessary punishment that we should use for violent offenders that keep up the violence when locked up in prison. I also think that they should not be kept in there for years on end, but if they keep acting up then I think that being put in solitary confinement for years is a good punishment. Solitary confinement does mess with your head so that is why I think that it should only be used for criminals that are acting up and being violent while they are in prison because they obviously are not good around people and they might be better off alone. I also did not realize that so many people were in prison at the time of this video. That seems like a lot of people, but at the same time not that many people. The Secretary that did this experiment must be pretty dedicated to his job to expose himself like that in the pursuit of a better system that protects the inmates and the corrections officers. I have a lot of respect for him, and think he is the correct man for his job. - Legion001
ReplyDeleteWhen I first opened this video I figured it would have been more media misrepresenting a topic in the criminal justice system. His first sentence I understand was meaning to grab your attention but it felt fraudulent. I had no idea that solitary bares such an expense. I would like to know where his information was behind that statement. I found it interesting to see the correctional secretary endure what the prisoners endure. It made me think if that a well educated and seemingly normal man (I would like to at least think so) could begin to slip and lose his connection with reality just after 48 hours. I had no idea that boredom in itself could drive someone to insanity. If he was starting to feel crazy already I can not imagine what other prisoners feel after years of solitary. I partially agree that solitary is sometimes necessary. If someone is so violent that they can not be put into general population prisons and that there is no way to help them mentally gain control over their aggressive behavior than solitary as a punishment is due. I feel as if it should be the last resort and even then only as a short term punishment rather than a 5 year sentence. I think it is strange that it took the secretary himself to go through the system to know that it is wrong. I believe solitary should only be used when all other methods are exhausted and there is simply no better solution to protect others.
ReplyDelete-Jackrabbit001
This video shows what solitary confinement really looks like. Gregg, the secretary of corrections for new Mexico spent 48 hours in solitary confinement to see what it was like. There is a lot of controversy over this solitary confinement, many calling it legalized torture. I think that it is torture because they don’t have access to human contact which will turn you insane. He comes out of the video saying that he doesn’t believe that it’s torture, but he was only in there for 48 hours. I think that if Gregg was held in there for a month he might think differently about it. It says in the video that we are social butterflies, and we as humans need to interact with other living things to keep our sanity. I think that being locked in a box for more than 48 hours should be considered torture and shouldn’t be used in the United States. Even after only being in there for around 24 hours, Gregg experienced some panic and Closter phobia. He said that he felt as if the walls were shrinking and he wanted to get out, so imagine how an inmate would feel after being in there a month or even a week. I predict that within the next 10 years there will be no more solitary confinement, and if there is then it will only be used for the most violent criminals like Gregg suggested. -Celtics001
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that Marcantel was willing to step into the shoes of an inmate. I don't know if 48 hours would be enough time for him to really understand what it can be like for them, but even in such a short amount of time it was affecting his mental health. I’m not exactly positive someone who is already an angry individual, committing violent crimes and hurting other people, would respond well to treatment like this. Maybe they aren't within the realm of rational thinking and need help to get there, but if they are locked up and the key is thrown away because they aren't acting the way humans are supposed to act in today’s society then they will never learn. I think that prisons need to move away from extremely harsh punishments like this to a more rehabilitative way of operating. Obviously a large problem with that is that you can't teach someone who isn't willing to learn, among various other problems with that line of thinking. What I’m trying to say is bad people are bad, but when you surround them with other bad people and no room to improve their lives how could they possibly be expected to magically become better people upon release. On the other hand if someone has absolutely no chance of release due to the nature of their crimes then I’m not really opposed to solitary confinement other than it almost seems like a waste of resources like guards, space, and money. These are just things that could probably be better utilized in other places although I don't actually have any clue if that's an accurate statement or not. -Waterboy001
ReplyDeleteEverytime I watch videos like this it is somewhat heartbreaking. I can't imagine being locked in a cell that is 12x7 for 23 hours a day with only one hour outside. Hearing that there is 80,000 people in solitary confinement is shocking. Considering statistics show 64% of prisoners in solitary confinement have mental illness. Study also shows this is actually an inverse reaction. You are in there for various reasons either because your considered “dangerous” or you can't stay out of trouble or other reasons however, this doesn't help all the time this is actually making people experience mental illness and making behavior worse. I feel as if this also dehumanizing and, I agree when critics state it is “legalized torture. Being locked away like that almost feels like your forgot about and nobody cares also, not even having a little human interaction Isn’t good. At least being able to eat together and talk to each other would maybe make it a little easier. I agree that solitary confinement should only be used for the “most dangerous” and when needed, it shouldn't be used for long time purposes.
ReplyDelete21Aries001
From what I’ve learned in the video, I agree with what the Secretary of Corrections said; I agree that solitary confinement should be used, but it should be used sparingly. There are a few reasons that I believe it should remain in use. One reason is that it greatly protects the inmates from one another. It also protects the officers from the inmates. The video refers to solitary confinement as “legalized torture,” which I agree with, for the most part. I can’t imagine what it would be like for even a day in solitary confinement, much less years on end. But the inmates that would be confined for however many years are not just your average, every day civilians; they are the country’s most dangerous criminals and they have earned their way into such a terrible punishment. If a person is able and willing to murder, rape, kidnap, or commit any other unspeakable crime against another human being, they probably aren’t affected by solitary confinement the same way a “normal” person would be, such as Gregg Marcantel, the undercover inmate. Going back to Marcantel’s statement, solitary confinement should be used sparingly. Solitary confinement is three times more expensive than keeping the inmate in a normal prison block. It is also an intense form of punishment and should be reserved for the worst criminals.
ReplyDeleteDrums001
The fact that an individual from high up in power decided to do an experiment like this was a good idea for a few main reasons in my opinion. Realizing how easy it is to become insane became apparent after the first day and that definitely shows that it is mentally tough on those who are locked up in solitary. However I do believe in keeping this process around, and for the same reasons as the secretary. The people that are locked up in solitary are there for a reason, a crime they committed, or for assaulting an officer who is there to protect the other inmates and the communities. If it is called inhumane to keep someone in solitary do you think it was inhumane for them to kill another person? That is where the controversy begins and I do realize that it can cause inmates to become insane and unsafe to be around for any individual but punishments must fit the crime committed. If someone murdered another and got to walk then what type of example would set for other criminals and the communities that no longer feel safe. Everything can start to snowball fast if you look at the bigger picture but some punishments are most definitely needed for certain individuals.
ReplyDeleteBlues001
Throughout this video, I had a lot of thoughts about solitary confinement. In some instances I thought I was for it and then again I do not think that it in necessary. First off, I thought it was crazy that there are approximately 80,000 people in solitary confinement in our country. It is interesting that the Secretary of Corrections for New Mexico decided to experience solitary confinement. No one really knows what it is like unless they truly experience. In my opinion, it is a very good idea from someone high up in the corrections system to experience this. I thought the officer made a good point when they asked him if it was a dangerous job. He said "it's working in the lion's cage working with the lion." I will say I do not agree with the inmates only have an hour a day out of their cell. They complain about not being out of their room enough and to be honest, I do not disagree with them. Yes, they have committed bad crimes but being outside their cell for only an hour a day is a little excessive. I do 100% think solitary confinement is necessary because these inmates deserve that level of punishment.
ReplyDeletelilbaby001
Throughout this video, I had a lot of thoughts about solitary confinement. In some instances I thought I was for it and then again I do not think that it in necessary. First off, I thought it was crazy that there are approximately 80,000 people in solitary confinement in our country. It is interesting that the Secretary of Corrections for New Mexico decided to experience solitary confinement. No one really knows what it is like unless they truly experience. In my opinion, it is a very good idea from someone high up in the corrections system to experience this. I thought the officer made a good point when they asked him if it was a dangerous job. He said "it's working in the lion's cage working with the lion." I will say I do not agree with the inmates only have an hour a day out of their cell. They complain about not being out of their room enough and to be honest, I do not disagree with them. Yes, they have committed bad crimes but being outside their cell for only an hour a day is a little excessive. I do 100% think solitary confinement is necessary because these inmates deserve that level of punishment.
ReplyDeletelilbaby001
I thought it was a very respectable action for the secretary to put himself into a super-max prison. It is one thing for someone to sit in their bedroom all day that is roughly equivalent to the 12x7 cell, but it is another to know that you cannot leave. I think just the sheer amount of little creature comforts would be enough to drive a person "insane". It really shows how much we take for granted and how we never know what we have until it is gone. Not to mention that besides the lack of communication, prisons are often loud and cold-hearted places, not helping with getting a much wanted amount of sleep. This is why I sometimes not only question some of the current methods that we implement, but why I thank the correctional officers who also share some of these aspects on a day to day basis. However with all that being said I do agree with the secretary that some people are inherintly evil and should, under the right circumstances, receive such punishment. Rock001
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that the Secretary of Corrections decided to conduct an experiment on living in solitary confinement for 48 hours. It gives him a more inside perspective on what kinds of conditions the prisoners have to live through and what causes them to change drastically. After 24 hours of his experiment Greg is already experiencing some effects of confinement, such as claustrophobia. It would be hard to adjust to life from living in society to living in a small cell with little to no freedom. From the way things looked inside the cells that prisoners have to live in, it is hard to believe that it is three times as expensive to finance it than regular incarceration. One question should be is it worth spending all that money to house that many inmates in solitary confinement? It is understandable why people would see this as legalized torture but I would not think of it too much in that way. In the video another thing that the Secretary of Corrections mentions is that prisoners released from solitary confinement come out worse than when they were first brought in. I think the reason for that is because they have to adjust themselves to living in a small cell for so long affects them mentally and changes their behavior. Then after returning to society those feeling are still in there and may be triggered by certain stimuli. I agree when they say that solitary confinement should be for the most dangerous and be used sparingly.
ReplyDeleteRam001
It said that there are 80,000 people in solitary confinement in America. Not only is that a huge number but it also mentioned that being in solitary confinement has the cost of 3 times more than being a regular inmate. I think that solitary confinement is used way more than it should be. Also, I think that it was a good idea that the Secretary of Corrections in New Mexico took the time to find out for himself how it felt to be in the situation. As well to be sure as of why to reform the state's use of solitary confinement. I was amazed by the total number of people that were murdered just between the inmates, it was 138 victims. Most inmates describe solitary confinement as “perpetual misery” and feeling the most vulnerable. Towards the end of the video, once most of the inmates in solitary confinement were given the opportunity to join again with fellow inmates. One specific inmate made a comment where I felt bad more than anything. Freddy, the one who was in there for 10 years and killed two people. He said “It feels great, finally living”, once being able to interact with people. taco001
ReplyDeleteStarting this video I expected it to be misinforming and/or misleading, but the experiment itself is interesting. We didn't get that much insight on the experiment itself besides some things the Secretary of Corrections for New Mexico did. I felt kind of left in the dark on his exact thoughts, but I agree with what he said in the end, about how we have this area to protect not only our selves and the public, but also other inmates. If solitary is as bad as people say it is, then that's where the worst should go because we can't let horrible things happen and they get put in simple timeout, they need something to stick with them like a hard memory. - Lobster001
ReplyDeleteWhile the challenging experiment was not an extremely long amount of time in solitary confinement, it showed how stressful and mentally draining it is to be locked up in there for just fourty-eight hours. Some of the people in there have been in solitary confinement for up to ten years. I thought it was very interesting that the camera crew and the reporter were able to speak one on one with some of the inmates and tell us some of their background. The fact that the Secretary of Corrections was willing to go through with this challenge is amazing. I think that it was a great idea and gave not only him, but other people watching this video an inside look at what solitary confinement truly does to an individual. Some of the inmates that were interviewed spoke about how terrible it was being locked up all the time and not having human contact. When the challenge was over, some of the inmates were moved out of solitary confinement and into a normal prison cell. When the inmates were finally able to have human contact they spoke about how they felt like real life people again and they felt like they were actually able to live. When it comes to solitary confinement, I do not think that it should be used as often as it currently is being used today. Solitary confinement in my opinion should only be used as a punishment for those individuals who are out of control and are looking for trouble. I personally believe that solitary confinement is a great thing to have because it helps protect not only the lives of the officers working inside the prison, but also the other inmates from being harmed as well. While solitary confinement has both its pros and cons, I believe it is a necessary tool that is a must have in American prisons. -Anchorman001
ReplyDeleteI agree that solitary confinement is necessary to insure safety of staff and fellow inmates. The inmates know the rules of the prison and are expected to live in a proper and peaceful manner. When an inmate chooses to be violent, it is expected that he receives a reasonable punishment that will deter him from acting out in the future. Solitary confinement is a good way to prevent future out bursts of violent behavior due to the fact that it reduces the already limited freedom one has in prison. It keeps them away from others and prevents them from any form of communication. Its an intense form of time out. Having said that, we as humans are meant to be around other people to socialize and build relationships. Being removed from human interaction completely for too long could harm a person’s mental state in the long run. Prisons are meant to punish, but they are also meant for people to learn from their mistakes. I personally believe that keeping a person locked away in solitary confinement for more than 30 days is a form of torture. Yes, it does the job of preventing violent behavior from prisoners, but we must consider what it does to a person’s mental health in the long run. -Sexy_in_Bikini 001
ReplyDeleteThis experiment is one that needed to be done, and needs to continue to be done in other parts of the nation, and in prisons around the world. From my point of view, being a forensic psychology major, the mental damage that can be done from being put into solitary confinement is what concerns me the most. Something I consider is the fact that most individuals that end up in solitary are there because of their heinous, or otherwise dangerous, acts. Generally speaking, for a person to commit the kind of crimes that end them in solitary, they are probably not in the best state mentally. With that being said, in what way does it make sense to take someone who is already in a questionable state of mind and force them to be alone with their own thoughts nearly 24 hours a day? Rather than taking the time to address a persons state of mind, and trying to help them for the better of not only themselves, but our society as a whole, we shove them into a cement hole to deteriorate further and become, in a lot of cases, even more of a danger to themselves, and possibly everyone around them. I have actually had a family member of mine be put into solitary. He is a diagnosed bipolar, and struggles with alcoholism. He was arrested while under the influence, and put into solitary. While he was in there he was not being given his medication properly while also experiencing withdraw from binge drinking. Long story short, him and his fragile mind were placed into solitary and he came out even worse in the end. Our prisons are far too focused on punishment and not enough on rehabilitation, or releasing people into the world that have a chance at being better, and bettering society. Our prisons bring in damaged people, damage them more, let them go, and then wonder why so many of them end up back in prison.
ReplyDeletepsych001
In todays prisons I do think solitary confinement is a necessary evil. Not only will it improve the safety of other inmates and the staff that watches over them it will also help keep order. In a way it will mess with a prisoners mind even if he is not in it. The thought of him/her being locked away separate from others and being deprived of social interaction and the thought of an outside world beyond the prison walls will be enough to make him or her think about their actions before they act out. But while inside of Solitary confinement it can be a kind of torture. Especially if you are in there for extended amounts of time. You are given the bare minimum and deprived from the luxuries you may of had while mixed in to the population. Nothing to help the time to pass, you are just stuck there with yourself and your thoughts. Where it becomes questionable is when people who are in an altered state of mind that do act out often become a regular in solitary confinement. It will begin to take a toll on the mind and on you physically. Prisoners who may have picked up a bad habit while inside are now cut off from the drugs/objects that became essential to their everyday life. Wether it be drugs or just having the ability to work out. I would like to see it still be used in the future as it is an essential part of the prison.
ReplyDeletePurdue001