▁ 2 3 ▁hours ▁a ▁day ; ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁one ▁hour ▁when ▁he ▁leaves ▁it , ▁he ▁likely ▁is ▁allowed ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁opportunity ▁for ▁conversation ▁or ▁interaction ▁with ▁anyone ". ▁Justice ▁Kennedy ▁wrote ▁that ▁"[ t ] he ▁human ▁to ll ▁wr ought ▁by ▁extended ▁terms ▁of ▁isol ation ▁long ▁has ▁been ▁understood , ▁and ▁question ed , ▁by ▁writers ▁and ▁comment ators " ▁and ▁that ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement ▁" b ears ▁a ▁further ▁terror ▁and ▁peculiar ▁mark ▁of ▁inf amy ". ▁Justice ▁Kennedy ▁conced ed ▁that ▁" in ▁some ▁instances ▁temporary , ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement ▁is ▁a ▁useful ▁or ▁necessary ▁means ▁to ▁imp ose ▁discipline ▁and ▁to ▁protect ▁prison ▁employees ▁and ▁other ▁in m ates ", ▁but ▁that ▁courts ▁should ▁ultimately ▁determine ▁" wh ether ▁work able ▁alternative ▁systems ▁for ▁long - term ▁conf in ement ▁exist , ▁and , ▁if ▁so , ▁whether ▁a ▁correction al ▁system ▁should ▁be ▁required ▁to ▁adopt ▁them ". ▁ ▁Justice ▁Clar ence ▁Thomas ▁wrote ▁a ▁separate , ▁one - paragraph ▁conc urr ing ▁opinion ▁to ▁respond ▁to ▁Justice ▁Kennedy ' s ▁conc urr ing ▁opinion . ▁He ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁" ac com mod ations ▁in ▁which ▁Ay ala ▁is ▁hous ed ▁are ▁a ▁far ▁sight ▁more ▁sp a cious ▁than ▁those ▁in ▁which ▁his ▁vict ims , ▁Ern esto ▁Dom ing uez ▁M ende z , ▁Mar cos ▁Antonio ▁Zam ora , ▁and ▁Jose ▁Luis ▁Ros itas , ▁now ▁rest ". ▁Justice ▁Thomas ▁also ▁noted ▁that ▁because ▁Ay