Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which an inmate is isolated from any human contact, often with the exception of members of prison staff, for 22–24 hours a day, with a sentence ranging from days to decades. read more
Exact statistics are not known, but a 2011 study suggested that 20,000 to 25,000 prisoners in the United States are held in this way. Keim claims that that California holds some 4,500 inmates in solitary confinement, and that there are as many as 80,000 prisoners held in solitary across the United States — more than any other democratic nation. read more
Solitary confinement has many other names. In American English it also called the 'hole', 'lockdown', the 'SHU' (pronounced 'shoe') or the 'pound'. In British English people say 'block' or 'the cooler'. read more