Tracing changes in behavior across the extended solitary confinement process

Abstract

The evidence regarding the behavioral effects of restrictive housing (RH) is mixed. This study used within-individual analyses to examine changes in behavior across multiple stages of one type of RH: extended solitary confinement (ESC). The results showed that the odds of a disciplinary infraction were significantly higher than baseline during the 12 weeks prior to an ESC placement. The odds declined during the week of a RH placement hearing and remained low during an ESC stay, during step-downs to lower levels of RH, and over the first two months post-RH. This beneficial effect decayed over time, and the odds of an infraction returned to baseline three months post-RH. Models predicting specific infraction types revealed the same general pattern for violent, defiance, and disorder infractions but a different pattern for regulation violation and property infractions. Although ESC may improve behavior at certain stages of its process, these improvements may be short-lived.