Hi Mark
I know I started this string, but I have found out that these discussions don’t usually lead to much understanding of the other’s point of view, so I do not respond much, but I did want to tell you that you have raised some important issues. You essentially ask, 'What about the people behind bars that continue killing. If they have shown no remorse, but, rather, continue to kill other humans - how do we keep society (inside and outside of prison) safe?"
I answer that by stating that the reason why prisoners kill prisoners is because they were able to come into contact with other prisoners. No contact - no problems. The solution is not taking their life, especially when that is not necessary to keep society safe. Rather, just put these violent persons in single cells/isolation 23 hours a day with 1 hour for individual recreation. That is exactly how it is done here in Youngstown, Ohio at our Super Max Prison where the most violent are always sent. They have NO contact with ANYONE - even mail is read on a television screen, visits are on a tv screen, and etc.
And they go crazy. Almost 100% of the time. Within months.
That is why that is not a suitable problem. Particularly if you are concerned with mercy. IMHO, such an existence, particularly for a lifetime, would be worse than death.
If you are interested in mercy and redemption, you may be interested in reading this journal article on the subject:
The Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement on Prisoners in Supermax Units
A key section of this article talks about the psychological effect of long term segregation:
Haney (1993) noted that in the absence of social context people become “highly malleable, unnaturally sensitive, and vulnerable to the influence of those who control the environment around them” (p. 5). Paradoxically, long-term social isolation often leads to social withdrawal. Individuals move from craving social contact to fearing it. Prisoners housed under conditions of confinement such as those found at the SHU grow to rely on the prison structure to limit and control their behavior. A consequence of this is that convicts are no longer able to manage their conduct when returned to the general prison population or when released to the community. Alternatively, incarcerates may become unable to initiate behavior on their own due to severe apathy and lethargy. Convicts may resort to acting-out behavior as a means of testing their environment, or they may retreat into fantasy. Haney (2003) indicated that prisoners in the SHU experience intolerable feelings of frustration, anger, and rage. Rageful acting out by offenders is often used to justify the conditions of their confinement; however, he noted that “rage is a reaction against, not a justification for, their oppressive confinement” (Haney, 1993, p. 5).3
Haney (2006) also cautioned that prisoners in long-term solitary confinement are at increased risk for developing symptoms of mental illness. Social isolation is correlated with clinical depression and long-term impulse-control disorder. Prisoners with preexisting mental illness are at particular risk for developing psychiatric symptoms in solitary confinement. Psychosis, suicidal behavior, and self-mutilation are commonly seen among prisoners in long-term solitary confinement. In addition, offenders with mental illness are already at increased risk for being placed in solitary confinement because they have difficulty adjusting to prison and are often unable to manage their behavior in the correctional population (Haney, 2003). Behavior that stems from mental illness is often used as a justification to place convicts with mental illness in the SHU.
…
Grassian (1983) identified a psychopathological condition, known as SHU syndrome, among these prisoners (see also Kupers, 1999). SHU syndrome is characterized by perceptual changes; affective disturbance; difficulty with thinking, concentration, and memory; disturbance of thought content; and problems with impulse control. Grassian found that these incarcerates were hypersensitive to external stimuli and frequently experienced distortions of perception, hallucinations, or feelings of derealization. Most convicts suffered extreme generalized anxiety and symptoms of panic disorder. Many offenders were confused, and some suffered amnesia for some of the events that occurred during their confinement. Many prisoners reported frightening and disturbing violent fantasies of revenge against their captors. Many suffered paranoia and believed they were being persecuted. Several prisoners reported problems with impulse control, characterized by violent or destructive behavior or acts of self-mutilation. Notably, most of these offenders had no previous history of psychiatric problems. In all cases, their symptoms subsided after they were released from segregated housing. Grassian noted that the effects of solitary confinement varied according to the degree of social isolation and sensory deprivation that was imposed. Thus, as he concluded, “The use of solitary confinement carries major psychiatric risks” (p. 1454).4
If mercy is your reason, how can subjecting prisoners to the above (read the article for more) be considered merciful?
