Depth in the Iron Cage: Isolation and Social Contact in Contemporary Prisons

Abstract

A central feature of contemporary prison systems is the routine use of restricted housing units (RHUs) to manage and punish incarcerated populations. People confined in RHUs are subject to distinct sets of bureaucratic procedures and rules that are used to administer isolation. One common and theoretically-relevant case is the heightened restrictions on social contact with external social ties. The current paper systematically explores the implications of RHU confinement for external social contact—namely, prison visits—among a cohort of incarcerated men. The results suggest that incarcerated men experience visitation loss during RHU confinement, for both disciplinary and administrative reasons, but that variation exists across race/ethnicity and type of visitor. Interview data illustrate examples of various potential reasons for visitation loss. The results have implications for our understanding of how RHU confinement may contribute to the depth of imprisonment through formal restrictions, administrative neglect, and expressions of agency in restrictive settings.