Life in Solitary Confinement Over the past two decades, the use of solitary confinement has become widespread in U.S. prisons. Most inmates living in almost total isolation stay there for more than five years. In a three-part series, NPR examines the state of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons today.

Special Series

Life in Solitary Confinement

In a three-part series, NPR examines the state of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons today.

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In U.S. Prisons, Thousands Spend Years in Isolation

July 26, 2006 • Over the past two decades, solitary confinement has moved out of the prison basement and into whole facilities built just for isolation. These places have many names -- Supermax, intensive-management units, secure housing -- but the meaning is the same: years alone, out of the public view and away from public oversight.

At Pelican Bay Prison, a Life in Solitary

July 26, 2006 • The isolation units at California's Pelican Bay prison hold more than 1,200 inmates. They live in small, windowless cells, often for years, with virtually no human contact. The system was designed to break up gangs, but some say the problem is worse than ever.

At Pelican Bay Prison, a Life in Solitary

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As Populations Swell, Prisons Rethink Supermax

July 27, 2006 • Almost every one of the estimated 25,000 U.S. inmates in isolation will be released back into the public one day. A few prison officials reconsider the idea of isolation -- and wonder if there might be a better way.

As Populations Swell, Prisons Rethink Supermax

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Making It on the Outside, After Decades in Solitary

July 28, 2006 • Daud Tulam spent 18 years in isolation in the New Jersey State Prison. Now free, he finds it difficult to make eye contact, make small talk, or be around other people, including his family.

Making It on the Outside, After Decades in Solitary

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Working the Isolation Unit: A Prison Officer's Tale

July 28, 2006 • Gary Harkins also spent decades inside an isolation unit -- as a correctional officer at the Oregon State Penitentiary. He says solitary confinement takes its not just on the men it houses, but also on the men who watch them.

Hear Harkins Tell His Story

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Q&A: Solitary Confinement & Human Rights

July 27, 2006 • At least 25,000 U.S. prisoners are held in solitary confinement. They live in isolation, in small, often windowless cells, for years or even decades, with virtually no human contact. NPR Jamie Fellner, director of the U.S. program for Human Rights Watch, discusses the civil-liberties concerns raised by long-term segregation.

Q&A: Solitary Confinement & the Law

July 27, 2006 • Solitary confinement has been used in U.S. prisons since the late 1820s; legal objections emerged soon after. In the past two decades, the practice has become widespread. Roger Pilon, a legal scholar with the Cato Institute, discusses the legal concerns involved.

Timeline: Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons

July 26, 2006 • The use of solitary confinement has become widespread in U.S. prisons over the past two decades, but its use actually dates back more than 180 years. From the Quaker philosophy that inspired the practice to its prevalence today, read a history of solitary confinement.