Adolescents in Grown-Up Jails

In many cases including violent offenses, nonviolent offenses, and property crimes, juvenile offenders are treated as adults and are incarcerated with other adults. In order to protect these adolescents from rape, abuse, or suicide, they are often sent to solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is also a method of punishment, and involves the detention of prisoners in small cells for 23 hours a day for weeks or months at a time. New studies have shown that solitary confinement can lead to anxiety, depression, rage, hallucinations, and as well as suicide.

In many cases including violent offenses, nonviolent offenses, and property crimes, juvenile offenders are treated as adults and are incarcerated with other adults. In order to protect these adolescents from rape, abuse, or suicide, they are often sent to solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is also a method of punishment, and involves the detention of prisoners in small cells for 23 hours a day for weeks or months at a time. New studies have shown that solitary confinement can lead to anxiety, depression, rage, hallucinations, and as well as suicide. Even as a protection mechanism, it seems that solitary confinement does more harm than good.