In a deal sparked by an NYCLU lawsuit, New York State will scale back the use of solitary confinement in its prison system, banning the practice for prisoners under 18 and limiting it for pregnant and developmentally disabled people. “New York State has done the right thing by committing to comprehensive reform of the way it uses extreme isolation, a harmful and inhumane practice that has for years been used as a punishment of first resort,” said NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman of the decision.
Corrections Department Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci said that the deal “make the disciplinary practices in New York’s prisons more humane, and ultimately, our state’s criminal justice system more fair and progressive, while maintaining safety and security.”
For more on solitary confinement in New York and its destructive effects on prisoners, watch this NYCLU-produced short documentary.
(Photo: @josepha)
