NYCLU on New York Ending Long-Term Solitary Confinement

ALBANY, N.Y. – Governor Cuomo signed the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act into law, preventing some of the most harmful aspects of solitary confinement by limiting when it can be used.

In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement from executive director Donna Lieberman:

“The torture that is long-term solitary confinement will come to an end in New York state, banning the physical and mental abuse that has caused irreparable harm to tens of thousands of New Yorkers who are disproportionately Black and Latinx. Thanks to tireless advocacy from survivors of solitary confinement, parents of children lost to this inhumane practice, Albany lawmakers, and partner organizations, New York now leads the nation as the first state to codify the UN Mandela Rules into law, which restrict the use of solitary only to exceptional circumstances. Ending mass incarceration requires replacing punishment with rehabilitation, and our state has now taken a much overdue step towards dignity.”