although the number of people of color in isolation is only slightly higher than the number of white people, their experiences in solitary confinement may differ. women in solitary confinement are treated as less than human, in ways which parallel not only the larger societal degradation of women but also that of people of color. the sexually abusive nature of their interactions with the guards, and the denial of medical care, social contact, and resources, can be seen as racialized. in particular, guards often refer to women in solitary confinement using slurs that are both misogynist and racist.