Many prison inmates went mad or committed suicide stemming from reforms that included tiny cells and solitary confinement in the mid-1800s.

Question

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The use of tiny cells and solitary confinement in the mid-1800s, particularly in the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, was part of a reform movement aimed at rehabilitation through isolation. However, this led to numerous reports of mental health issues among inmates, including madness and suicide, as the extreme isolation and sensory deprivation were far more damaging than reformers had anticipated.

Many Prison Inmates Went Mad or Committed Suicide Stemming from Reforms