Mayor Eric Adams issued a surprise order Saturday declaring a state of emergency within the city’s jails to halt implementation sections of a law banning solitary confinement.
Using his authority as the city’s chief executive, the emergency order enabled Mayor Adams to choose which parts of Local Law 42 — which the City Council enacted in January after overriding a mayoral veto — would not take immediate effect on July 28. Specifically, the mayor suspended the implementation of a four-hour time limit for prisoners to be held in “de-escalation confinement” if they pose a safety issue to themselves or others; and limitations on the use of restraints in transporting prisoners.
