Solitary Confinement, or simply Solitary, is the place where you will be sent for extreme violations during your sentence.
Solitary contains one bed and most of the time, one Camera. In The Escapists 2, every solitary room will additionally contain a sack of potatoes next to a chair (see bottom of page for info).
Reasons that you can be placed here and how to avoid them:
In The Escapists 2, these will instead cause a Lockdown, unless otherwise noted, but you will be sent to solitary if you are knocked out during one. This is likely due to the multiplayer aspect of the game. In the original game, you will be sent here instantly if any of these conditions are met regardless of your location.
- Guard finding you not in your cell after Lights Out. Counter this by putting a Bed Dummy on your bed before leaving your cell.
- Perimeter jeep [TE1] seeing you outside or seeing holes on the ground or evidence of an escape attempt. Counter this by wearing a Guard Outfit or Infirmary Overalls, not doing anything suspicious while the jeep is passing by or using a Stinger Strip to temporarily disable it.
- Backup arriving during a Lockdown [TE1 only]. Counter this by turning yourself in to the guards (remember to put away contraband items that you need first), another way to escape from Lockdown is if you go to sleep and save the game. [TE1 only].
- Guards seeing you damaging the prison. Counter this by only digging/chipping/cutting in areas that guards won't search, or by doing it after Lights Out if you need to do it outdoors. (In TE1 your heat goes up to 99% without getting thrown into solitary, needs testing in TE2)
- Uncovered holes in the ground, walls, fences, cell bars and vents (UNFINISHED holes on the ground count). Counter this with a Fake Wall Block or Poster for walls, a Fake Fence for fences and a Fake Vent Cover for vents. (Cell bars can't be cut.) In The Escapists 2, damage found with no inmate linked to it will instead trigger a 3-star increase in Security Level, only if the guard who spotted the damage gets to the Control Room.
- Being seen outside your cell after they lock shut (after all inmates are inside their cells during Lights Out). Counter this by avoiding the guards or by simply wearing a Guard Outfit or Infirmary Overalls.
- Contraband being found during a Shakedown [TE1 only, in TE2 you'll just lose the contraband]. Counter this by hiding or disposing of contraband before the guards check your cells, or [TE2] knocking out the guard before they arrive. You can store them in Toilets [TE1 only], underground, in vents, or even on yourself.
- Guard waking up while you still have their Key or Keycard. Counter this by making a Key Mold/Keycard Mould and returning the real key/keycard to the guard before he wakes up. You can also steal the real key and tie them up with Duct Tape/Length of Rope and as long as you return it before 4 minutes pass, you should be fine [TE1 only].
- Guard finding Dirt or Wall Block placed on the ground [TE1 only, in TE2 this triggers an increase in Security Level]. Counter this by hiding them in vents, underground, desks, flushing them down toilets (make sure to have a Plunger on hand in case it floods!), your inventory or by giving them to other inmates. Placing a Poster or Fake Wall Block will also stop this from happening.
- Guard finding contraband in flooded Toilets. Counter this by using a Plunger on the toilet, taking the items out of the toilet (TE1 only) or by not flushing too many items down a single toilet. [TE1 only, triggers Security Level increase in TE2.]
- Being caught by a Searchlight while on the roof after Lights Out, counter this by wearing a Guard Outfit or Infirmary Overalls
- Fences cut open and holes in the ground being seen by Tower Guards when they arrive at Morning Roll Call [for TE2, see info above about damage]. If you aren't sure that you can escape on time, restart!
In The Escapists 1 while you're in Solitary, you'll skip three days and all of your skills will be decreased by 10. All Contraband items that you've placed in the prison will be confiscated, as well as all holes in your cell plugged and all broken/chipped walls (even covered with posters) removed.
In The Escapists 2, you will lose every item you've got in your inventory, as well as any contrabands in your desk (except in hidden compartment). You will stay for anywhere between 1 and 4 real minutes time (1 to 4 hours in game), depending on the amount of times you've been in solitary and the difficulty of the prison. The time you are in solitary, you no longer have to do your routines. You can accelerate the remaining time by peeling potatoes, though this can decrease Stamina so you may need to use the bed to rest up.