The Limitations of Solitary Confinement
Policy Analysis Paper: The goal here is to explore a specific issue within the realm of contemporary American criminal justice: Solitary Confinement. Focus on one policy solution to the problem at hand that has been put into practice and to then to evaluate that approach according to the metrics we have discussed throughout the semester. This means first that I’d like you to tell me about what the possible or confirmed theoretical underpinnings of the policy are. For example, if I were going to discuss the policy of mandatory minimum sentencing, I would probably talk about deterrence theory as a theoretical justification for it.
After telling me about the problem, policy, and theoretical justifications for the policy, I would like you to explore whether the policy in question is evidence-based, which is where our understanding of both methods and policymaking comes in. Does your research indicate that the policy works? Is it cost-effective? What criteria for success does the policy succeed or fail at?
Does the evidence you’ve used to answer these questions have methodological problems, or is it sound? Furthermore, I would like you to discuss the political environment in which the policy was put into effect. Was it sold to the public somehow, or was it enacted with an element of secrecy? For example, if I wanted to look at a policy of reduced sentences for first-time drug
offenders, I might suggest that the efforts were passed by emphasizing the money-saving nature of it or a reliance on rehabilitation advocacy.
Finally, I would like you to conclude with a recommendation based on what you have learned. Should the policy in question be continued as is? Should it be changed? Perhaps you think it should be abandoned entirely in favor of something new. Whatever your recommendation is, tell me about it and justify it in the context of what has come before.
