Use of Solitary Confinement on the Rise in NY Prisons

The New York State prison system is increasingly using solitary confinement.

New York 1 reports that despite a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the use of solitary confinement, or isolation, has gone up since 2012. There was a decrease across the state of people regulated to a special housing unit (SHU) by 2,400. However, the people regulated to a keeplock, which is cell confinement with a gate-like door allowing contact with outside the cell, increased by 3,100 cases.

According to New York 1, a bill to curtail solitary confinement in New York State prisons failed to pass in a legislative session. Governor Andrew Cuomo had also made mention that he would veto a solitary confinement bill.

In 2016, New York City ended solitary confinement for those under 21. However, New York 1 reports that the change led to more violence.

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