At any given time, the state of New York holds about 4,500 inmates in solitary confinement (9% of all New York inmates), where they are subject to inhumane, unhealthy conditions, most notoriously characterized by isolation from other people, and being confined to one’s tiny cell, with little to no access to sunlight and counseling services.
In an interview with Human Rights Watch, one survivor of solitary confinement in New York reflected about their experiences: “I just felt I wanted to die, like there was no way out.… I [tried to hang myself] the first day.”
The tragic story of Kalief Browder, a young man who ultimately died by suicide in 2015 due to the trauma he endured after being falsely accused of stealing a backpack and becoming a victim of solitary confinement, began to a shine a light on New York’s prison system. It’s a system that continues to disproportionately use solitary or isolated confinement on black inmates, young inmates, and mentally ill inmates.
For years, progressive organizers across the country—led by returning citizens (formerly incarcerated people) and survivors of solitary confinement—have been fighting for an end to the inhumane practice of solitary confinement. The New York Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (NYCAIC) is using grassroots advocacy and storytelling to push legislators to pass the New York Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act, colloquially known as the HALT Act. This crucial piece of legislature would significantly improve prison conditions in four key ways.
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Creating humane alternatives to isolated confinement, such as referral for rehabilitative counseling services
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Ending long-term isolated confinement, so that no inmate can be held for more than 15 consecutive days, or for more than 20 days within a two-month period
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Creating a higher standard for the use of isolation (in severe cases only), rather than encourage wanton use of segregation
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Prohibits use of solitary confinement for all youth ages 21 and younger, adults age 55 and older, disabled people, pregnant inmates, and those who are parenting while in prison
On June 12, 2018, this robust, groundbreaking bill passed in the lower house, by a vote of 99-45. On the Assembly floor, HALT Act lead sponsor Rep. Jeffrion Aubry underscored the significance of the bill:
“Solitary confinement has been identified by the United Nations as torture under the Mandela Rules. Inmates in SHUs (Security Housing Units) are locked into their cells 23 hours a day, with one hour of recreation time in an outdoor cage. They get no phone calls, no personal property, no programming, no religious services and there are no legal limits to how long they can be kept. Some prisoners have been in SHU for decades.”
Last June, a 23-year-old Rochester resident named Plush Dozier—who has been diagnosed with several severe mental health disorders, including schizophrenia and oppositional defiant disorder—was arrested and held on suspicion of setting a house fire. He has been held in isolation since last September, without access to adequate mental health care services—despite the fact that he has not been convicted of a crime. Dozier’s story is by no means unique, as isolation is inhumanely applied to so many inmates who suffer from mental illness. If the HALT legislation were enacted in New York, Dozier and other mentally ill inmates could not legally be held in isolation.
Despite the long-deserved victory in the Assembly, HALT won’t become law until it passes in the state Senate. With thousands of inmates being held in solitary confinement today—many of whom are children—it is critical for progressive communities like ours to support the efforts of coalitions and organizations like NYCAIC. With 25 Senate co-sponsors already, and a Democratic majority, there is hope that HALT advocates will convince undecided Senators to support the legislation. On April 30, NYCAIC organizers and New York residents alike will head to the capital city of Albany to lobby state Senators for their support.
Inspired and live in the state of New York? Register for NYCAIC’s April 30th Advocacy Day in Albany!