in some prisons, women may be put into solitary confinement because their mental health issues prove to be too difficult for the authorities to deal with or are exhausting their resources. if the prison authorities are unable to address their inmates’ health concerns, they may put them into solitary confinement to avoid solving the problem. this means that the women in solitary confinement are often already at risk for mental health or other challenges, due to previous health concerns or sexual abuse.