The harmful effects of solitary confinement

Lack of sunlight - Inmates in solitary confinement will not have the needed daily sunlight exposure required to be healthy.

Musculoskeletal pain - Solitary confinement can be physically painful. From muscles, to bones, tendons, and nerves, all parts of the body can indeed be affected.

Musculoskeletal pain - Though mental health also plays a part in how the body responds. Psychosomatic pain is also common, caused by the mental distress of solitary confinement.

Cardiovascular complications - High blood pressure affects around 48% of male inmates between 27 to 45 years old in solitary confinement.

Cardiovascular complications - Loneliness, in general, is linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, and those in solitary confinement are indeed more vulnerable to these.

Eyesight - Being locked in a small box does not allow for inmates to engage their long-distance vision. This alone can contribute to eyesight deterioration.

Sensory deprivation - Light and sound are of extreme importance in order for us to be healthy. Having limited stimulation can take a toll on our senses, namely our sight.

Involuntary movements - You might have seen these in prison movies, but they do happen in real life. Rocking back and forth and shaking can indeed happen during solitary confinement.

Death of brain cells - Shrinking of the hippocampus leads to an acceleration in the death of brain cells, which has an impact on cognitive function.

Timeframe - And this process can happen quite quickly, too. A study conducted on mice found that motor regions in the brain shrank by 20% after just one month of social isolation.

Stimulation intolerance - The more time spent in solitary confinement, the more socially intolerant inmates become. This can have disastrous consequences, including outbursts of aggression.

Self-harm - Both intentional and unintentional self-harm is unfortunately a reality for those who spend time in solitary confinement.