Why are humans, as a species, so damn cruel?

Worse than second class: solitary confinement of women in the U.S. (Click here to read more)

Rss@dailykos.com (meteor Blades)
Monday, April 28, 2014, 11:56 pm
.
At Alternet, Janet Allon discusses the latest report from the American Civil Liberties Union, Worse Than Second-Class
.
More than 200,000 women are imprisoned in the U.S., and, like their male counterparts, they are increasingly subjected to the cruelly inhumane practice of solitary confinement. But while the devastating psychological effects of solitary have been studied on men, the punishment is uniquely damaging to women in different ways. Last week, the ACLU released its new report, entitled  Worse Than Second-Class, about women prisoners held in solitary.
.
In the report, the ACLU explores five ways that the mostly invisible practice of solitary harms women:
.
1. Solitary confinement can exacerbate mental illness
[...]

2. Solitary confinement can re-traumatize victims of past abuse and can render incarcerated women more vulnerable to abuse by correctional officers
[...]

3. Solitary confinement is sometimes used as retaliation against women who have reported sexual abuse or other harmful treatment while in prison. […]
[...]

4. Solitary confinement can jeopardize the relationship between mother and child, harming children. […]

5. Solitary confinement of pregnant women is harmful and internationally condemned.
[...]