Segregation in Prisons, Administrative

Administrative segregation—also known as solitary confinement—involves the housing of an inmate in conditions characterized by substantial isolation from other inmates. The use of administrative segregation in the United States has risen precipitously since the 1980s, as have concerns about its effects and utility. Some claim that administrative segregation is a necessary tool for managing correctional populations, while others insist it is an overused management strategy that produces many damaging effects on inmates and staff. The use of this correctional practice not only raises empirical questions but also moral, ethical, and legal concerns. This entry focuses on some of the current issues surrounding the contemporary use of administrative segregation in the United States.