Vt. prisons used lockdowns to slow coronavirus, but prisoners’ mental health suffered

Vt. prisons used lockdowns to slow coronavirus, but prisoners’ mental health suffered

These measures might have slowed the spread of COVID-19, but research shows restrictive housing practices have detrimental effects on mental health. Keramet Reiter, associate professor of criminology and law at the University of California Irvine, said extended confinement can produce symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. “And they include hallucination, insomnia, trouble sleeping, trouble modulating your emotions. All kinds of severe mental health crises can ensue,” she said.