Abstract:
This report interrogates what is a commonplace practice in the prison system. It examines the conditions of solitary confinement in New Zealand prisons, as well as the number of people exposed to it. It then outlines the numerous and severe harms caused by solitary confinement, as well as the failure of the use of such practices to achieve the intended purposes of prison order, prisoner safety and suicide prevention. Recognising the effects of solitary on those who most experience it, it is argued that, according to international human rights standards, solitary confinement is inherently dehumanising and sometimes amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as torture. From these findings, the report recommends the abolition of solitary confinement in New Zealand prisons.