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Significant Drop in Use of Isolation as Punishment for Inmates

Tuesday 9th 2024 on 08:15 in  
Denmark

Significantly fewer inmates in Danish prisons are being punished with long-term isolation for breaking rules, according to new data. From October 2023 to May of this year, inmates in Danish prisons were sentenced to more than 14 days in solitary confinement 60 times, an 84% decrease from the same period the previous year, when it happened 380 times.

In solitary confinement, inmates are excluded from the community and isolated in a cell for the majority of the day. This is one of the punishments that can be given if they break prison rules, for example by committing violence, causing serious vandalism, possessing drugs, or other offenses.

Being isolated can have significant consequences for the individual, particularly if it’s for a prolonged period. This can lead to a range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, in severe cases psychosis, and an increased risk of self-harm and suicide attempts.

The fall in the use of isolation as a punishment has occurred following the introduction of a new sanction system in Danish prisons in September 2023. Under this system, as a general rule, inmates can only be punished with isolation for a maximum of 14 days for offenses committed in prison. The previous upper limit was four weeks.

If an inmate breaks the rules, they can receive a disciplinary punishment. Since September 2023, the options for punishment have been: warning, fine (up to 846.30 kroner in 2023 rates), solitary confinement (usually a maximum of 14 days), temporary ban on leaving (maximum 12 weeks), temporary restriction on the right to visit (maximum 12 weeks), temporary restriction on the right to correspond (maximum 12 weeks), temporary restriction on the right to use the telephone (maximum 12 weeks). These restrictions do not apply to close relatives, such as children.

This change was made after there had been a significant increase in the use of isolation in solitary confinement cells from 2015 onwards. From 2017 to 2021, solitary confinement was used as a punishment over 500 times annually.

The development since the new rules were introduced has been welcomed by Karina Lorentzen, the Justice Spokesperson for the Socialist People’s Party. She had requested the new data.

“We had demanded in the negotiations on the Prison Service that we reduce the use of it. Partly because we know that it doesn’t really work, creates a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy, and people get sick from it. Therefore, it is wonderful that it is going the right way to reduce the use of it,” she told DR.

The reduction in the use of solitary confinement is not only positive for individual inmates, but also for the prison environment as a whole, according to Elna Søndergaard.

“There is research suggesting that high use of solitary confinement and isolation in various forms can damage the important relational work that takes place in prison,” she said.

The relationship and trust between inmates and prison staff are important for both resocialization and prison safety, she explained.

“So from that perspective, it’s incredibly positive that we’re seeing a significant decrease in the use of solitary confinement for over 14 days,” she added.