Understanding Prison Health Care
Mental Health
No date
Movement Building

EXTRACT:

The prison institution as it stands is not only a poor solution to managing individuals with acute and chronic mental health diseases, but also a potential contributor to the development of mental health diseases. This is best exemplified by examining prisoners placed in solitary confinement for weeks, months and years (sometimes up to 15 years!). Psychiatrists with an interest in prison mental health care note that individuals placed in solitary confinement over time may begin to have a cluster of symptoms, including psychosis, that together are known as the SHU syndrome (SHU stands for Security Housing Unit). While some psychiatrists believe that the mental health status of prisoners with the SHU syndrome can return to normal once released from solitary confinement, the reversibility may depend on the amount of time spent in isolation.