Maria Valencia

ENG1010
Professor Beatty
April 4, 2016
Annotated Bibliography
Solitary confinement is a form of punishment used excessively across the United States
and more recently has been used on adolescents. A dark, small, and cement cell with no
communication to the outside world and at times no windows or form of entertainment. Solitary
confinement is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Solitary confinement should be banned
for the use of adults and children. However it more negatively affects an adolescents and their
developing brain. Although solitary confinement may seem like the only option to keep other
inmates safe, confinement of adolescents is cruel and unusual, negatively effects a developing
brain and is the easy way out of dealing with troubled teens.
American Civil Liberties Union, (October 2012), Growing Up Locked Down: Youth In Solitary
Confinement In Jails And Prisons Across The United States, http://www.aclu.org/report/
growing-locked-down-youth-solitary-confinement-jails-and-prisons-across-United-States
Solitary confinement is a nationwide growing problem and is affecting young people
under the age of 18 as mentioned by the American Civil Liberties Union. A report done by the
ACLU describes the circumstances in which teens are kept in small dark cells for countless
hours. The ACLU writes that while in solitary confinement many teens are not lucky enough to
be left with a book or other forms of entertainment. They mention that because their brains are

not being stimulated, it is opening up a new psychological effect, especially on a developing

brain.
I am going to use this information provided by the ACLU to describe in my body
paragraphs supporting my thesis on the conditions in which juveniles are left in solitary
confinement. I am going to use the personal interviews to make the description of solitary
confinement as gruesome as it actually is. The ACLU also provides a basic understanding of
what solitary confinement is, and I will use that information in my summary as an eye opener
and a background for those who are unfamiliar with the topic.
Figueroa, Fusion, (October 2, 2015), Prison Kids: Juvenile Justice in America, retrieved from
URL
In the documentary Prison Kids, a number of kids are followed who either are at risk of
being incarcerate or who already are and have been in and out of the system. The video mentions
that in the United States more and more children are punished extreme sentences that do not
justify for small crimes such as alternations at school. The Prison Kids Documentary shocking
states that the United States has no real age limit to kid prisons. As the video states that more and
more children are spending their childhood behind bars. Also viewed in the video, kids who were
or are growing up behind bars are developing mental health problems and are struggling to
recuperate.
I am going to use the video Prison Kids to emphasis that the United States incarcerates
and punishes kids more than anywhere else, I am going to put this in the paragraph where I
mention the difference between an adolescent in solitary confinement VS an adult. I also want to
use this video to show the alternatives to solitary confinement, I will mention other options in

place of confinement in my second to last paragraph and talk about the benefits to switching out
solitary confinement. I am also going to use phrases from interviews in the video throughout the
paragraphs to give the paper a personable touch instead of all facts.
Lisa C.C, (2015). No Child Left Alone: Why Iowa Should Ban Juvenile Solitary
Confinement
Lisa discuses the reasoning behind why solitary confinement should be banned especially
focusing on Iowa. The 8th amendment which prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishment
is in violation when using solitary confinement as stated by Lisa. She also comments that
development in adolescents is crucial and solitary confinement leads to permeant brain damage.
She argues that solitary confinement should only be used as a last resort and only if the person is
harming others.
I am going to use Lisas argument about the 8th amendment being violated when using
solitary confinement because of the circumstances in which inmates are kept under. Lisa makes a
similar argument to mine on how solitary confinement affects a developing brain, I am going to
use her ideas behind how it affects a developing brain in my body paragraphs, to explain further
into detail ideas mentioned in my thesis.
Santrock, J. W. (2013). Essentials of life-span development (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher
Education.
The Essentials of Life-Span Development book is a book that goes through different time
periods throughout our life and the changes that occur both physically and mentally. I am going
to focus on chapters 9 and 10, which focus on the adolescent time period. This chapter mentions
the crucial time for developing both mind and body occurs during this time period, and some of

the most important changes are occurring in the brain. This time frame in developing is what
either makes or breaks your developing brain as stated throughout the chapters.
I am going to use chapters 9 and 10 in my third paragraph that discusses the importance
of a developing brain, and how solitary confinement will leave permanent damage. I am also
going to use these chapters in the paragraph in which I mention the bigger impact confinement
has on adolescents VS an adult who has fully developed their brain.
Steiger K, (2015, March) Teen was kept in solitary confinement for 143 days before even facing
trial, received from URL
In Steigers article a teen was illegally held in solitary confinement for 143 days. This
article goes into detail about the everyday life this teen faced while in solitary confinement for
143 days and the impact it had. The article mentions that this isn't the first time a teen was held
in confinement before awaiting trial. Also stated that many other teens now are kept in solitary
confinement for hours in a small cell receiving cruel and unusual punishment.
I am going to use this article to show how extreme and drastic our justice system is
punishing adolescents in my paragraph about the 8th amendment, that will also talk about why
solitary confinement is cruel and unusual. Using the detail about a teen kept 143 days in solitary
confinement before even knowing if their were guilty or not is cruel, and if found not guilty the
time spent in confinement could still leave permeant damage. I am going to use the second part
of the information I obtained in my paragraph about a developing brain, and how in the long run
solitary confinement will ruin their development and put them in a continuous cycle of crime.