solitary confinement is allegedly used to prevent violence within the prison population, and is becoming more common with the prison industrial complex and the rise in incarceration rates. in most prisons, inmates that are put into solitary confinement fall into one of three categories: disciplinary segregation, voluntary administrative segregation, and involuntary administrative segregation. disciplinary segregation is used as a punishment, while administrative segregation is a preventive measure intended to protect either the inmate being isolated or the other inmates. while segregation as a disciplinary measure or a precaution that protects other inmates is allegedly reserved for offenders who have committed violent acts while in prison, women in particular are often put into solitary for much smaller offenses, such as throwing things or talking back to guards. it is also often used against women who complain of sexual assault from prison guards or other inmates. once they are in solitary confinement, women are often monitored more closely and disciplined more harshly than men are.