171 years ago today, Dickens condemned solitary confinement

by Peter Wagner, October 19, 2013

When Charles Dickens came to the United States, he wanted to see two things: Niagara Falls and Eastern State Penitentiary. He expected to be impressed with this radical new type of prison with a solitary confinement system. Instead, he was horrified. PPI’s Leah Sakala made this graphic to commemorate this anniversary:

graphic about charles dickens and solitary confinement

Related briefings:

  1. New data: Solitary confinement increases risk of premature death after release +
  2. The research is clear: Solitary confinement causes long-lasting harm +
  3. Aging alone: Uncovering the risk of solitary confinement for people over 45 +

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