In Canada, one in every four prisoners in the federal prison system has spent some time in solitary confinement. At any given time, there are as many as 1800 people in solitary confinement in federal or provincial prisons.

International bodies and experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Committee against Torture have concluded that prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement can amount to torture. The negative effects of long-term solitary confinement are well-documented. These effects include psychosis, hallucinations, insomnia and confusion. Solitary confinement can create mental illness where none previously existed, or exacerbate pre-existing illness. It is a risk factor for prison suicide. The suicide rate for prisoners is seven times the rate of the Canadian public, with nearly half of those suicides occurring in solitary confinement.

Solitary confinement as it is currently practiced in Canada violates core constitutional rights.

At a time when the rest of the world is scaling back the use of solitary confinement, Canada remains steadfast in its reliance on a broken and dangerous system. From the Correctional Investigator of Canada to the United Nations, the message to our government has been the same: Canada must change the way it uses solitary confinement in its prisons.