Cuomo signs bill banning long-term solitary confinement [View all]
ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the HALT Solitary Confinement Act into law late Wednesday night, which places new restrictions on the practice in the state, including a ban on holding people in solitary for more than 15 days.
It was common for incarcerated people to be placed in solitary conditions for months, years or even decades — a practice that the United Nations defines as torture for its extreme harmful psychological effects. Data also shows that the enforcement of solitary confinement has been significantly biased by race, with Blacks representing 58 percent of those in isolation. More than 80 percent are Black or Latino inmates.
The bill was passed by the Legislature last week, and Cuomo signed it shortly before his deadline to do so on Wednesday night.
"Generations of incarcerated men and women have been subjected to inhumane punishment in segregated confinement with little to no human interaction for extended periods of time and many experience emotional and physical trauma that can last for years," Cuomo said. "By signing the HALT Solitary Confinement Act into law we are reforming New York's criminal justice system by helping ensure the effective implementation of proven, humane corrections policies."
Read more: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Governor-signs-HALT-Solitary-Confinement-Act-into-16069265.php
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