City Hall, NY – Speaker Adrienne Adams announced support for legislation to ban solitary confinement and the scheduling of a hearing on the bill for next week. The Speaker released the following statement:

“The Department of Correction’s stated mission is to create a safe and supportive environment while providing individuals in its care with a path to successfully re-enter their communities. Solitary confinement does not line up with this objective and New York City must be smarter by relying on evidence-based practices to keep New Yorkers and our neighborhoods safe. The research is clear: solitary confinement is a counterproductive and harmful practice that causes immense damage to the health of those subjected to it. It disproportionately leads to suicide and worsens the mental health of those subject to it. This can exacerbate the safety challenges within the jail system and outside of it when individuals are released. The Council will hold a hearing on legislation to ban solitary confinement, advancing a comprehensive and sensible legislative process to gather input from all stakeholders. New York City is better than solitary confinement, and the Council intends to pass a law to restrict this practice.”

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