To put it mildly, it is impossible to call the situation in any penitentiary institution favorable. And it’s not just a matter of appearance, but also the moral side of the issue - deprivation of freedom still cannot be called a pleasant feeling, especially since it is not for a day or two.
However, even a simple cell in a prison or colony is not the worst thing that can happen. It is much harder to be in a cell that is intended for solitary confinement. What this room actually is and who it is intended for – we will talk about this further.
Camera view
A solitary cell is a small room that is intended for long-term occupancy of only one person. It should contain:
- One sleeping place - a wooden or metal bunk screwed to the floor.
- Bathroom.
- One point of lighting that must be protected by a grille.
Also, according to established standards, the room must have one window, no larger than 50 by 50 cm in size, and must be covered with bars.
In other words, solitary confinement for prisoners is far from the most pleasant place in a penitentiary institution - in addition to limited space, the lack of communication with other people and communication with the outside world also affects it.
California is currently experiencing the largest prison protest in its history. Almost 30,000 prisoners went on a hunger strike. They oppose the state's practice of solitary confinement, in which people are held for years and decades with little social contact or sensory stimulation. The human brain is poorly adapted to such conditions, which is why activists - as well as a number of psychologists - consider them torture. Solitary confinement is not only uncomfortable, they say, but so contrary to human needs that it often drives people crazy. In isolation, people become anxious and angry, prone to hallucinations and mood swings, and unable to control their impulses. Things are even worse for those prone to mental illness - solitary confinement can have long-term effects on their minds. “We found a number of symptoms that are almost universal. They're so common that it's practically a syndrome, says Terry Kupers, a psychiatrist at the Wright Institute who actively opposes solitary confinement. “I fear there will be lasting harm.” California holds 4,500 prisoners in solitary confinement, making its situation indicative of the United States as a whole: the United States holds more than 80,000 people in solitary confinement, more than any other democratic country.
Disciplinary detention center. DIZO
DIZO ( disciplinary isolator ) is a variant of the punishment cell in a juvenile colony (“in juvenile detention”). Conditions there are far from easy, there are a lot of restrictions. But compared to the punishment cell, there are some concessions:
- short-term visits are allowed;
- you can have textbooks and notebooks;
- the duration of the walks is 2 hours;
- The term of placement in an isolation ward is 10 days, and it is impossible to immediately receive a second term of pre-trial detention center (for adults, there is no similar clause in the new version of the law).
Telephone conversations, parcels and small “joys of life” like smoking are also prohibited.
Classification of cells in correctional institutions in the Russian Federation
Boxing is a room for new arrivals to a pre-trial detention center or colony. Here the prisoner is kept alone while undergoing standard quarantine procedures prior to being assigned to a permanent cell.
Transit cell - a room for mass detention of newly arrived prisoners who have undergone sanitary procedures and are awaiting assignment to permanent cells.
A three-ruble cell is another type of room for newly arrived prisoners. Prisoners here are held in groups of two or three for a short period of time, for example, until the accompanying documents arrive.
A permanent cell is a room in a colony, colony-settlement, where a prisoner serves his sentence.
Solitary confinement is a room for individual confinement of convicted persons during the entire period of their imprisonment. Particularly dangerous criminals who pose a threat to the life and health of their cellmates are placed in solitary confinement. Such cells are widespread in high-security prisons for life-sentenced prisoners. In a regular colony, a prisoner who is being persecuted by fellow inmates (for example, a former law enforcement officer who mistakenly ends up in the common area by mistake) can also be placed in a solitary cell.
