Six by Ten

An estimated 80,000 Americans are held in solitary confinement in prisons across the country. Solitary confinement, often in cells no bigger than 6 by 10 feet, means 24 hours per day with little or no meaningful human contact. Six By Ten explores the mental, physical, and spiritual impacts of America's widespread embrace of solitary confinement, as told through the first-person narratives of individuals subjected to solitary confinement, family members on the outside, and corrections officers. Each chapter presents a different individual's story and probes how Americans from all over the country and all walks of life find themselves held in solitary for years or even decades at a time.