Background
Philosophy-Based vs. Legal-Based Standards and Guidelines
The Emergence of National Standards
The Debate Over Solitary Confinement
In the debate over whether solitary confinement is beneficial or hostile to prisoner management,legal considerations have received insufficient attention. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that officials have a duty to take reasonable measures to protect prisoners from violence. But to provide reasonable measures to protect safety,officials must be able to control prisoners’ mobility,interaction with other prisoners and capability to harm others. Hands-on methods of control (ie.,grappling,fighting) provide high risk of injury.
In-Custody Death in Jails:
Overview and Investigations
Death and Subsequent Litigation
In-custody deaths in jails are unfortunate,but occur for a wide variety of reasons – many outside the control of jail officials. Among the most common causes are:
A. Accidents (e.g.,slip and fall,work-crew accidents);
B. Health issues (e.g.,heart attacks,stokes,seizures,AIDS);
C. Prisoner-on-prisoner violence;
D. Use of force to control prisoners; and
E. Self-harm (e.g.,suicide,self-mutilation,autoerotic asphyxiation)