New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an emergency executive order suspending some new laws restricting solitary confinement in city jails, saying the laws put corrections officers and inmates at greater risk.
The new law, which took effect Sunday, was initially intended to require prisoners who pose safety concerns to be held in “de-escalation confinement” for no more than four hours and to limit the use of restraints while inmates are being transported to court or prison.
“Protecting the health and safety of all people in the custody of the Department of Corrections, all staff and individuals who work in New York City’s jails and transport those in custody to courts and other facilities, and the general public is of utmost importance,” the Democratic mayor wrote in his order.
“Complying with many of the provisions, such as transporting individuals to court without restraints, would require a significant increase in staff and other resources that are not available,” he added.
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A cell at New York’s Rikers Island jail. Citing concerns about the safety of staff and detainees, New York’s mayor issued an emergency order Saturday suspending some solitary confinement in local jails, one day before a new law banning it goes into effect. (AP/Bebeto Matthews)
Judge Adams also suspended part of the law that prohibited prison officials from placing inmates in long-term “restrictive housing” units for more than 60 days in total in any 12-month period. His order requires prison officials to review the placement of inmates in restrictive housing units every 15 days.
The law was passed by the New York City Council in December. Adams’ veto was overridden by the City Council the following month.
“With each passing day, Mayor Adams’ administration has shown less respect for the law and our democracy, enforced a hypocritical double standard when it comes to following the law, and made life worse for New Yorkers — and in this case, made our city and everyone in our dysfunctional and dangerous prison system less safe,” City Council spokeswoman Shirley Limongi told The Associated Press in response to Adams’ order.
“The reality is that the law already contains broad safety exemptions, this ’emergency order’ is unnecessary and another example of Mayor Adams abusing his executive orders without justification,” she added.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference at New York City Hall in June. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
According to the Associated Press, the bill was introduced by New York City Public Attorney Jumaane Williams, who argued that solitary confinement is akin to torture for prisoners who spend long periods of time isolated in small cells.
Supporters of the new law, including Williams and other key members of New York’s congressional delegation, point to research that shows solitary confinement, even for a few days, makes inmates more likely to commit suicide, die from violence or a drug overdose. They say it can also cause acute anxiety, depression, psychosis and other disorders that reduce an inmate’s ability to reintegrate into society after release.
The prison facility at Rikers Island in New York is surrounded by a burglary-proof fence. (AP/Bebeto Matthews)
At the time, the union representing the city’s prison guards opposed the law, saying it would make it harder to protect prison officials from violence by detainees.
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The Prison Officers Benevolent Association noted that despite the old punitive segregation rules being in place, there had been more than 6,000 incidents of inmate assaults on prison officers in the past three years, including 50 sexual assaults.
With Fox News’ Bradford Betts The Associated Press contributed to this report.
