In Nevada, as much as one-tenth of the state's entire prison population is currently in solitary confinement.
And while the use of solitary confinement in prisons has grown in recent decades, especially with the advent of supermax and private prisons, there's growing concern over its efficacy.
Hannah Truby recently explored the issue in a series for the Sierra Nevada Ally through the lens of a man named Frank de Palma, who spent 22 years in solitary confinement in Ely State Prison before eventually being released in 2018. According to Truby, there are severals ways one can wind up in solitary.
"In Frank's case, he was the victim of a gang-related infraction," said Truby. "So for his safety, as well as the safety of the other prisoners, the department of corrections staff said, 'We have to put this guy in solitary.' It's very common."
While there is no agreed-upon definition of solitary confinement, it's generally understood to be when an inmate goes between 22 and 24 hours a day with little to no human contact. Research suggests that prolonged isolation can have a profound psychological impact. In 2020, a UN human rights expert likened the excessive use of solitary confinement by correctional facilities in the United States to torture. Truby said that in de Palma's case, he became a ghost.
"The last six years of solitary he has no memory of," she said. "He just became a hand reaching for his food tray every day."
Research also suggests that the use of solitary confinement might also increase the odds that offenders who leave prison are much more likely to return. It's what makes de Palma's story all the more interesting said Truby.
"It's just really remarkable that he is where he is, not back in prison or in failing health or in a mental institution, because the odds were really stacked against him," she said.
Guests: Hannah Truby, managing editor, The Sierra Nevada Ally
