Mayor Bill de Blasio officially announced on Tuesday the Department of Corrections (DOC) decision to permanently end the use of solitary confinement as a form of punishment, in city jails while lawmakers are demanding changes to Rikers Island’s vaccine eligibility to include incarcerated persons.
At his daily briefing on March 9, de Blasio recounted the tragedy of Kalief Browder’s solitary confinement and the impact of his subsequent suicide.
“The fact that anyone could be left in solitary confinement for two years is shocking to think about in the history of this city,” said de Blasio about Browder’s treatment. “He should have never been at Rikers Island to begin with for having been accused of stealing a backpack.”
