The summary is:
The text is a transcript of a segment from the show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where he criticizes the practice of solitary confinement in the US. He argues that solitary confinement is a form of torture that causes lasting psychological damage to people who are isolated for long periods of time, often for minor infractions or for their own protection. He cites examples of people who have suffered from solitary confinement, and shows how some states have reformed their prison systems to reduce or eliminate the use of solitary. He urges the viewers to recognize the inhumanity of solitary confinement and to demand its abolition.
Here are some possible facts extracted from the text:
1. Solitary confinement is a practice of isolating people for 22 to 24 hours per day in small cells with minimal contact with others and with little or no access to reading materials or radio and TV.
2. Solitary confinement was introduced by the Quakers in the 1800s as a way of rehabilitating prisoners through repentance and reflection.
3. Solitary confinement can cause severe psychological and physical harm to people, and it can amount to torture according to the United Nations.
4. Solitary confinement is often used for minor rule infractions or for people who are seen as at risk in the general prison population, such as young, mentally ill, intellectually disabled, gay or transgender people.
5. Solitary confinement has little evidence of reducing violence or improving safety in correctional facilities, and it can make people more violent and less rehabilitated.
6. Solitary confinement has many euphemisms, such as segregation, protective custody, restricted housing units, security housing units, punitive segregation or room restriction.
7. Solitary confinement can have lasting effects on people even after they are released from prison, such as insomnia, mood swings, emotional breakdowns and difficulty relating to others.
8. North Dakota is an example of a state that has successfully ended the use of solitary confinement and created a more humane and effective system of dealing with prisoners who need to be separated from others.