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Prolonged solitary confinement causes a severe and varied symptomatology. Quite absent from the French scientific literature, this phenomenon has been studied by English-language professionals who have precisely examined the consequences of these particular penitentiary conditions. This article briefly gathers the scientific observations regarding social and sensorial stimuli deprivation, and describes the most frequently encountered symptoms of these inmates and the possible benefits of psychotherapeutic treatment. This work also seeks to draw attention to the extreme conditions imposed on these inmates and how problematic they can be in terms of human rights.