Innocent Appeal. Susan Pittman started this petition to President of the United States and 3 others
Solitary confinement is the practice of placing a person in isolated conditions with little to no human interaction and, commonly, sensory deprivation. This is a cruel and unusual punishment which is strictly prohibited in the 8th amendment of the United States constitution. Solitary confinement can last from days, months or years. After 15 days this cruel treatment often inflicted upon prisoners has the potential to cause irreversible psychological damage that is second to physiological changes in the brain. People who are tortured with solitary confinement can experience suicidal thoughts and psychosis. The chronic stress experienced while in isolation damages the hippocampus in the brain which is responsible for memory and emotion regulation. Many prisoners suffer from memory problems and cognitive decline as a direct result from solitary confinement. People require socialization to function normally. Time spent in solitary confinement increases the chances of a person committing more crimes after their release. This cruel and unusual punishment does immense harm and no good. I urge legislators to end this psychological torture inflicted upon prisoners.