The New York City Council has gained a veto-proof supermajority for a bill to end all solitary confinement in the aftermath of the latest death on Rikers Island.
The bill (Intro. 549), would end solitary confinement in all forms – instead utilizing other forms of separation in order to ensure the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals. Manhattan City Council Member Carlina Rivera, who chairs the council’s Criminal Justice Committee, sponsored the legislation, and along with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and City Comptroller Brad Lander, reported Monday that Rikers Island inmates were being held in solitary-like conditions during their most recent surprise visit to the facility.
