A new issue of the NIJ Journal is now available.
The first article in this issue titled, Study Raises Questions About Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement (pdf, 4 pages), discusses research on administrative segregation.
Administrative segregation — commonly referred to as solitary confinement — has been the subject of relatively little research. The surprising results that emerged from a study in the Colorado prison system, which showed no decline in mental health for prisoners in administrative segregation, add to what we know about its effects, but much work remains to be done. The Colorado study adds to the knowledge base, but it does not resolve the debate about the effectiveness of administrative segregation.
The article also touches on the unique challenges researchers face when conducting research in prisons. http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type ... 237721.pdf