Family doctors call for Canadian prisons, jails to end solitary confinement
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — The group that regulates family doctors in Canada is calling for an end to solitary confinement in correctional facilities.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada says in a statement that the practice should be abolished for inmates with medical conditions or mental illness, and should be prohibited as a form of discipline.
It says that until the practice is eliminated, the health needs of people in segregation should be assessed on a daily basis.
The college’s position paper says placing inmates in solitary confinement for health-related reasons, such as infectious disease or mental illness, can make the problems worse.