 Front cover | |
| Editors | Jean Casella, James Ridgeway and Sarah Shourd |
|---|---|
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Solitary Watch |
Publication date | February 2, 2016 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 240[1] |
| ISBN | 9781620973516 |
Hell Is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement is an American collection of essays by people who have experienced solitary confinement and by academics giving their perspectives on the topic. It was published in 2016 by The New Press in collaboration with Solitary Watch, a website which collects personal stories about solitary confinement. The editors were James Ridgeway, Jean Casella and Sarah Shourd. The former United Nations special rapporteur Juan E. Méndez wrote an afterword for the book.
The essays explore the circumstances under which people are sent to solitary, their restricted autonomy in such a state and the psychological consequences of prolonged confinement. One contributor, William Blake, was denied access to a copy of the book while in prison. The book received a positive critical reception.