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New York City Council, Mayor Adams Reach Impasse Over Solitary Confinement

Criminal justice reformers and administration officials are sharply at odds over the sequestration of inmates on Rikers Island and at other city jails.
New York City Council, Mayor Adams Reach Impasse Over Solitary Confinement
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams talks about a report on how to end homelessness by 2026 in Manhattan on July 29, 2022. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
Michael Washburn
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The New York City Council is girding for a legal showdown against Mayor Eric Adams if a ban on solitary confinement that the council voted to override a mayoral veto fails to take effect as scheduled on July 28.

Bill 549-A, which enjoyed the sponsorship of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and support from members of the council’s majority, bans the use—in most circumstances—of solitary confinement on Rikers Island and in other city jails, mandating that inmates have at least 14 hours per day among the facilities’ general populations. It also seeks to establish due process protections for inmates before prison officials can place them in isolation for any period of time.

Michael Washburn
Michael Washburn
Reporter
Michael Washburn is a New York-based reporter who covers U.S. and China-related topics for The Epoch Times. He has a background in legal and financial journalism, and also writes about arts and culture. Additionally, he is the host of the weekly podcast Reading the Globe. His books include “The Uprooted and Other Stories,” “When We're Grownups,” and “Stranger, Stranger.”