Some say California prisons should have more single-cell units

If you’re serving hard time inside a California prison, you’ll often find yourself stuck in a cramped cell with a stranger. You hang a bedsheet to manufacture the semblance of privacy between bed and toilet. Any little thing can erupt into a source of tension and angst — body odor, snoring, lights.

Each moment becomes a test to avoid confrontation or brawling. With no immediate help from…