Queens Councilman Robert Holden introduced a bill on Thursday, Feb. 10, that would bring back punitive segregation for inmates under 21 in city jails.
Punitive segregation, also known as solitary confinement, locks people in their cells for 23 hours of the day as punishment for a violent offense while in custody, as described by the city. Holden’s bill specifies that solitary confinement is allowable for inmates ages 18 to 21 who commit a violent act and have undergone therapeutic counseling for a prior violent outburst.
Holden said that violent, lawless behavior should not be tolerated in the city, inside or outside of city jails.
“Our corrections officers walk the toughest beat in the city: our jails, and they are being assaulted with impunity by inmates,” Holden said. “Female correction officers, for example, should not suffer deep psychological damage because inmates know there will be no real penalty for sexually assaulting them.”
