Has anyone's pen-pal ever spent significant time in isolation?

One of my pp spent three years in adseg, yes, but he's been going back to the general population in November. Today I found out he's been transferred, so I'm not sure, what's been going on right now.

But 15 yrs. is hard stuff! Heavy! In Germany this would be considered to be a form of torture.

@Kirsten, do you know if they will just release him right into general population or do they have a program to ease him into it? People with mental illnesses unfortunately spend the most time in insolation. 

Hm... my penpal did not go through a program first, but he didn't go to Ad Seg because of a mental illness, either.

Three years ago he did sth. stupid (while already being in prison) and that added on his sentence time for him. Plus he was then segregated to avoid further complications.

I'm not very optimistic he'll see parole, probably they'll just make him serve the maximum of his sentence and then send him out. The state he's in isn't known for rehabilitation at all. More for stetsons, boots, cowboys and long and hard sentences.

Solitary confinement on people with mental illness doesn't sound to me like a treatment plan.

One of my pals is in TX seg for 6 years now and it doesn't look like he's going back to gen. pop. anytime soon. He says it's hard to maintain his sanity in seg and I also very much doubt if there's some kind of adjustment program to ease him back into gen. pop. if he ever gets out of seg. But almost 17 years, sheesh....! Northernyank, I hope the state your husband is in does offer some kind of program, it's really hard without, after all this time the mind and brain really needs to adjust to a 'normal' environment.

My boyfriend has been in solitary for 6 years

He has said that many lose their minds after a little while. His last place the living conditions were barbaric and despicable. Basically a cage. Their toilets backed up and they had sewage in their cells. They had no tvs or much of anything to do.He got transferred 2 weeks ago and is still in solitary but he has a window and tv and a tablet. He said today its hard to get used to. Almost overstimulated. The COs there are mostly respectful. He said its been such a long time since he could relax. The last place was a hostile, loud, and it was all he could do to stay positive. He will work to now try to level up it'll be about a year til that can happen. Solitary for as long as Ive seen here is inhumane.

I can't believe how long it can take to level up and get back out again... ad seg is a bit... nuts... PBS had been doing a series solitary confinement and there have been follow ups... Its a bit... dificult to watch in Australia but you can find it on youtube alo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5AGP2FCtf0

So what are some of the reasons people would be placed in solitary/adseg/the shu for such long periods of time? Like years? 17 years in northernyank's case. I just don't know enough about it and I'm curious.

I've only had one of my penpals in the SHU for 7 weeks, in which she was practically losing her mind anyway.

He's been in and out of isolation. He received life without the possibility of parole for killing an inmate that was a sexual predator. He's considered to be a threat inside of an institution. He's been involved in the last 23 years, in 4 asaults all with either child molesters, or rapists. Each made the mistake about being graphic and bragging about what they did. He doesn't look like the type you think of in prison, all jacked up, tatted up etc. He's also been diagnosed by multiple medical doctors with serious combination of mental illnesses, but when one institution kicks him out they place him in isolation. (This isn't suppose to be allowed in the US). He successfully sued the Federal system and was then taken out of isolation, but kicked out of the feds and placed in a State prison that receives Federal funding. He's getting ready to sue again. Essentially the mental health staff, ignore his diagnosis and say all he has is PTSD, so they can house him in isolation. Even though they have changed his diagnosis (without testing) they still continue to give him the medications that are used to treat his actual illnesses. 

In a lot of ways, prisons use isolation as a form of punishment towards any inmate that uses their voice to fight for their rights. My husband is a lifer and during the time he's been incarcerated he's learned the law, and earned his paralegal degree, helping out himself and other inmates. He also learns all of an institution's rules and can quote the books. His recall is actually kind of scary. I can never get away with anything. lol. He's learned a lot through the years, like every outgoing and incoming correspondance he logs into a book. Every conversation he has with a staff member he logs as well.

In a lot of ways, prisons use isolation as a form of punishment towards any inmate that uses their voice to fight for their rights. My husband is a lifer and during the time he's been incarcerated he's learned the law, and earned his paralegal degree, helping out himself and other inmates. He also learns all of an institution's rules and can quote the books. His recall is actually kind of scary. I can never get away with anything. lol. He's learned a lot through the years, like every outgoing and incoming correspondance he logs into a book. Every conversation he has with a staff member he logs as well.

I hope to start a network of people with loved ones in solitary. To bring an end to prolonged solitary.

My boyfriend filed a case in Ohio. Id love to form a group" Families against solitary" To bring an end to this barbaric practice of prolonged solitary. Its hard to see how my loved one has suffered. We need a network of men and women to form a voice and speak against this inhumane practice.

My boyfriend has been in solitary for attacking a baby killer,been in solitary 6 years

I hope you can do it! I know that in Colorado where one of my pen pals is, they’ve all but removed solitary confinement. I think the maximum is 15 days, which still is probably too much, but it’s something. Hopefully the movement can gain traction nation-wide! Colorado seems to be doing a lot in terms of prison reform, so hopefully this is an indicator of things changing in the United States! 

Id be interested to see that lawsuit. Id love to see an end to prolonged isolation

Msitzes I’ve never had my boyfriend in that situation but I would like to learn more about it, and there is nothing wrong with trying to see a difference side of you can support others right? So if you did start a group I’d like some information on that please. 

My husband successfully sued the ADX with the help of a brilliant attorney in order to get out of isolation. The Feds kicked him out and placed him in a State prison receiving federal funding. He's been in isolation at the Ohio State Pen for a couple of years now and is in the beginning process of suing them. Which Ohio prison is your loved one in?

One of my PPs was put into solitary for a 6 months after deliberately getting into fights because he wanted to die and didn't believe in suicide due to religious beliefs :( When he got put in solitary he completely gave up and hanged himself as a last resort :( Luckily they found him in time, but the response to that was to put him in solitary in the mental health ward :( 

The sad end to the story is that this is happening more and more in prisons and I’m sorry about what happened to him, they just don’t have the resources and staff in most prisons that deal with the issues your penpal as I really wish I could say something to kinda make you feel better. It’s a pity they have to do that but I think that’s all they have, it isn’t right and it sounds like he needs so much more help  then what he’s been given.