The Pennsylvania system built in the early 1800s inspired solitary confinement using extreme isolation to deter future crimes. In the 20th century, inmates in solitary confinement remained for short periods. According to Craig, people would stay in secure accommodation for a few days or weeks (Weir, 54). Nowadays, solitary confinement has become very popular. Inmates are sent to solitary confinement for indefinite periods ranging from a few weeks to several years. An Urban Institute survey of self-identified supermax guards found that 44 states had at least one facility housing relatively 25,000 prisoners (Arrigo & Bullock, 2008). Additionally, it is believed that as prisons become overcrowded, the numbers increase over the years. Prisoners are locked behind confined cells in a small, windowless space for 22 to 23 hours a day. The cells are lit by artificial light, which remains on all day, so that prisoners have difficulty distinguishing day from night (Arrigo and Bullock, 2008). Sometimes the prisoner can be locked up all day if he decides to misbehave. Interaction with other human beings is strictly prohibited. The only contact inmates have is through closed-circuit television to speak to their visitors or when correctional officers place handcuffs or other restraints on them (Pizarro & Narag, 2008). Due to their extreme isolation, these inmates tend to fear social contact due to such a long absence. Inmates in solitary housing units do not have access to educational programs, sources of rehabilitation, and any group activities such as exercise or meals. Access to personal belongings or reading materials is strictly restricted (Arrigo and Bullock, 2008). Solitary confinement...... middle of paper ...... (Pizarro and Narag, 2008). Keeping prisoners apart benefits society as a whole, outweighing the negative effects. Works Cited. Arrigo, BA and Bullock, JL (2008). The psychological effects of solitary confinement on inmates of supermax units: reviewing what we know and recommending what should change. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 52, 622-640. Cockrell, J.F. (2013). Solitary confinement: the law today and the way forward. Journal of Law and Psychology, 37, 211-227. Pizarro, JM and Narag, RE (2008). Supermax Prisons: What We Know, What We Don't Know, and Where We're Going. The Prison Journal, 88, 23-42. Weir, K. (2012). Alone, in “the hole” Psychologists are studying the effects of solitary confinement on mental health. Monitor on Psychology, 43(5), 54. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/05/solitary.aspx