Solitary confinement: inside America's dreaded isolation cells
Depicted in 'Orange is the New Black' and fiercely debated in Congress, America's widespread and controversial use of solitary confinement is under fire. The Telegraph visits an isolation cell in Maine State Prison to find out more.
Locked Up In America: Stephen’s Story
Stephen Kirkley was near the end of a five-year sentence for robbery in early 2014. He was also one of the worst behaved inmates in the solitary unit of the Maine State Prison.
‘Frontline’ show puts focus on Maine jail reforms
A PBS documentary on solitary confinement in the U.S. will include Maine’s progression on reducing its use.
Our View: Prison reforms take Maine in right direction
It’s called “the prison within a prison,” and anyone who watches a recently aired “Frontline” documentary filmed in the Maine State Prison’s solitary confinement unit can see why. The setting depicted in “Solitary Nation” is grim. Responding to prolonged isolation – 23 hours a day in their cells, with an hour a day outside in individual exercise pens – inmates yell, slash their wrists, flood their cells, push feces under the cell doors and slam their fists into walls.
Maine Voices: Solitary confinement is not good for prison inmates — or anyone else
And God said, “It is not good for a man to be alone.” Genesis 2 teaches us that human beings are meant to live in community with others. Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures all affirm that human beings have inherent God-given dignity and that we all need each other physically, mentally and spiritually.
The Abuse of Solitary Confinement
In the past three decades, solitary confinement has been embraced by the vast majority of states to control violence and impose discipline.
Cruel Isolation
For many decades, the civilized world has recognized prolonged isolation of prisoners in cruel conditions to be inhumane, even torture.
Barbarous Confinement
MORE than 1,700 prisoners in California, many of whom are in maximum isolation units, have gone on a hunger strike. The protest began with inmates in the Security Housing Unit at Pelican Bay State Prison.
Maine State Prison reduces solitary confinement
WARREN, Maine — The segregation unit at the Maine State Prison is getting to be an empty place.
Our View: Overuse of prison isolation issue that should not go away
Backers of a bill that would limit the use of solitary confinement in Maine prisons did not get most of what they wanted this legislative session.
Maine solitary confinement bill stalls
House legislators prefer a policy review over a plan to change the treatment of mentally ill prisoners.