solitary confinement

noun

: the state of being kept alone in a prison cell away from other prisoners
He spent three months in solitary confinement.

Examples of solitary confinement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web He was also routinely kept in solitary confinement and not permitted to attend school or receive an alternative education, per the complaint. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024 Vladimir Kara-Murza, who suffers from a neurological condition after surviving two attempts to poison him, was transferred to a new Siberian penal colony in January and placed in solitary confinement, his wife said. Reuters, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024 For two months, Cameron Williams lived in solitary confinement in a tiny cell at Waupun Correctional Institution. Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024 His perilous journey to Australia culminated in a lengthy detention, including a significant period in solitary confinement, after being intercepted at Ashmore Reef. Callum McLennan, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024 The specter of surveillance and hate looms large for people like Abu-Rayyan, who was ultimately sentenced to five years in prison — including many months in solitary confinement — even though the terrorism charges were never substantiated. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 That violence earned him a decades-long stay in Pelican Bay State Prison, where he was kept in solitary confinement, under basically the worst possible conditions that were still legal in California. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 In June, Dean Hoffmann, 60, died by suicide while in solitary confinement. Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 During his two stays, he was placed in solitary confinement roughly 20 times, ranging from days to weeks, and endured psychological abuse at the hands of staff members who provoked him to act out, the lawsuit stated. Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solitary confinement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Solitary confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitary%20confinement. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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