Solitary Voices

How US immigration authorities use solitary confinement

By Antonio Cucho Karrie Kehoe

/ May 20, 2019

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists analyzed more than 8,400 records describing the placement of immigrant detainees in solitary confinement in facilities operated by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Scroll down to explore what we found.

Solitary confinement lasting longer than 15 days is “inhuman and degrading,” the United Nations says. More than half of the placements reviewed by ICIJ exceeded 15 days.

At least 573 placements were for 90 days or more.

At least 32 placements lasted longer than a year.

Nearly one third of placements involved detainees described as mentally ill.

In 373 incidents, a detainee was placed on suicide watch in a solitary confinement cell.

Another 207 incidents described detainees moved from solitary confinement to suicide watch.

Using solitary confinement to manage suicidal detainees “is the equivalent of pouring gasoline on a fire,” said Kenneth Appelbaum, a University of Massachusetts professor.

Use these filters to explore how solitary confinement is used.

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Solitary Voices

How US immigration authorities use solitary confinement

Solitary confinement lasting longer than 15 days is “inhuman and degrading,” the United Nations says. More than half of the placements reviewed by ICIJ exceeded 15 days.

At least 573 placements were for 90 days or more.

At least 32 placements lasted longer than a year.

Nearly one third of placements involved detainees described as mentally ill.

In 373 incidents, a detainee was placed on suicide watch in a solitary confinement cell.

Another 207 incidents described detainees moved from solitary confinement to suicide watch.

Using solitary confinement to manage suicidal detainees “is the equivalent of pouring gasoline on a fire,” said Kenneth Appelbaum, a University of Massachusetts professor.

Use these filters to explore how solitary confinement is used.

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

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International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

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Solitary Voices

How US immigration authorities use solitary confinement

Solitary confinement lasting longer than 15 days is “inhuman and degrading,” the United Nations says. More than half of the placements reviewed by ICIJ exceeded 15 days.

At least 573 placements were for 90 days or more.

At least 32 placements lasted longer than a year.

Nearly one third of placements involved detainees described as mentally ill.

In 373 incidents, a detainee was placed on suicide watch in a solitary confinement cell.

Another 207 incidents described detainees moved from solitary confinement to suicide watch.

Using solitary confinement to manage suicidal detainees “is the equivalent of pouring gasoline on a fire,” said Kenneth Appelbaum, a University of Massachusetts professor.

Use these filters to explore how solitary confinement is used.

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

About us

Investigations

Follow us