solitaryconfinement

A young lawyer named Wes Clark can’t get the Rutherford County juvenile court to let his clients out of detention — even when the law says they shouldn’t have been held in the first place. He’s frustrated and demoralized, until he makes a friend. 

From Serial Productions and The New York Times in partnership with ProPublica and Nashville Public Radio, “The Kids of Rutherford County” is reported and hosted by Meribah Knight, a Peabody-award winning reporter based in the South.

In today’s episode of the podcast, we speak with Professor Nicholas Reid, author of, Prisons in Ancient Mesopotamia. After introducing us to how Mesopotamians viewed and treated mental health, Reid talks to us about the earliest historical records on imprisonment in the history of the world. 

In his book, Reid discusses the evolution of the modern prison system as it relates to ancient Mesopotamia. Together we discuss the commonalities that can be seen between the ancient and modern systems and the benefits that come from learning about past cultures’ successes and weaknesses.

It may seem safely assumable to believe that because we are thousands of years removed from some ancient societies and their often barbaric methods of treating humanity, that we have automatically advanced into a superior, more humane society.  

But with our reliance on solitary confinement and a loss of meaning, our system is missing what could be a more healing and transformative journey.

Link to blog here.

Discussions about healthy living usually revolve around diet and exercise. Social interaction is often left out of the conversation, even though research shows that it's critical to our well-being. On this week's radio replay, we'll explore research on the extremes of social interaction: from the consequences of constant connection, to the high cost of solitary confinement.