This is a simple question, but the Connecticut Department of Correction’s lack of transparency around isolation means the answer is actually hidden from the public. By separately tracking multiple restrictive statuses, providing insufficient data, and failing to document time-in-cell for people in general population, the Department of Correction obscures the reality of isolated confinement in Connecticut. On any given day, hundreds of people in the D.O.C. are on a formal restrictive status, but thousands may well be subjected isolated confinement. 

The PROTECT Act would abolish isolation in favor of humane and effective means to keep prisons – and the people who live and work there – safe. The desire to be safe is a fundamental need of all people, and keeping prisons safe is a basic duty of the state. Unfortunately, decades of misguided policies and a profound lack of oversight have led prisons to rely on highly punitive and ineffective measures like solitary confinement. The good news is that—finally—many correctional systems are recognizing that using isolation and other forms of violence, on top of being cruel, is short- sighted and counterproductive. Instead, more systems are turning to alternatives, including pro-social programming and mental health treatment. And many systems are thinking far outside “the box” by turning to violence prevention and restorative justice to get at why disputes happen in the first place. This short report outlines the many tools that Connecticut could use to ensure safety without sacrificing humanity.

We project that ending prolonged isolation in Connecticut will save the state $14 million each year. Experts across the nation agree that the economic costs of isolated confinement are significant, during and after an individual’s incarceration. Isolating individuals leads to more violent incidents inside prisons, which results in higher medical and staffing costs; the medical toll of isolated confinement also translates to higher community medical costs. Individuals who are subjected to prolonged isolation are more likely to return to prison and less likely to be released on parole, effectively increasing the prison population and wasting taxpayer dollars. This report focuses on assessing the financial impact of eliminating prolonged isolation. However, at Stop Solitary CT, we want to be explicit — human life cannot ever be reduced to a dollar value. Torture is torture.