Solitary confinement is definitely torture. It has every single aspect of torture. The definition of torture is “the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or to force them to do or say something, or for the pleasure of the person inflicting the pain.” which is exactly what solitary confinement is. Severe pain as punishment. Solitary confinement has all the aspects and factors of what torture is.
First, you are stuck in a tiny cell for a major amount of time. This can have many bad effects such as damaging eyesight and losing your voice. Many inmates also start going insane, such as banging their head against the wall to see if they even exist. This is very damaging and a painful experience which matches torture’s definition.
Next, some may say that the inmates deserve it. It’s still torture. Doesn’t matter what they did it’s just the fact that it is damaging and painful, which is what torture is. The entire premise of torture is what you think about what they did and how you think they should be punished. It is all personal opinion and at the end, it’s still just hurting someone who did something as punishment.
Lastly, it all ties up. Torture is hurting someone who did something. Solitary confinement is just that. Pain: loss of eyesight, loss of voice, degrading mental state, and self-harm. Everyone in solitary confinement did something bad and it’s just punishment. Which is exactly what torture is.
In conclusion, solitary confinement is torture. It matches the definition perfectly. It hurts all the victims of it, and it is a type of punishment. It may seem like the receivers deserve it, but in the end, it is torture. And torture isn’t right.
