Formerly incarcerated individuals and their supporters rallied Tuesday against the pressure on the New York City Council to strike down a bill that would ban solitary confinement in city jails.
The Jails Action Coalition and the #HALTsolitary Campaign spoke out at City Hall Park on Dec. 19, demanding that elected officials pass Intro. 549 — the culmination of an over decade-long fight — which would prohibit the Correction Department from isolating inmates in their care.
Opponents of the bill, however, argue that the legislation would restrict the way Correction Department personnel discipline, potentially endangering them. Among the opponents is Mayor Eric Adams, who has raised concerns that the legislation would lead to “uncertainty” among staff patrolling Correction facilities like Rikers Island.
