The New York state prison system violated state law by holding inmates in solitary confinement longer than allowed, a state judge said.
In a ruling filed Thursday, state Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant said the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) did not provide sufficient evidence to rebut claims that it failed to comply with solitary confinement restrictions set out in state law. accusation.
“DOCCS had a duty to submit administrative records that supported its actions, but they failed to meet that duty,” Bryant wrote.
The ruling comes after the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and New York Prisoners Legal Services filed a class-action lawsuit last year alleging DOCCS routinely ignored the state’s Humane Alternatives to Long-term Solitary Confinement Act, which was signed into law in 2021 by then-Gov. . Andrew Cuomo.
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A solitary confinement cell at Rikers Island Prison in New York City on January 28, 2016. (Associated Press)
“No one is above the law, including prison officials. We will be watching closely to ensure DOCCS begins complying with the law,” the NYCCLU said in a statement posted Thursday on X.
DOCCS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it is reviewing the judge’s decision, noting some recent changes the department has made since Commissioner Daniel Matucello took office a year ago. This includes updates to the agency’s solitary confinement policy, such as additional review steps such as a new “Record of Reasons for Confinement” form that must be completed and signed by all reviewing officers, hearing officers, and supervisors.
Under state law, in most cases solitary confinement is limited to three consecutive days, or six days in any given 30-day period.
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A New York state judge has ruled that the New York state prison system violated a state law limiting the time inmates can spend in solitary confinement. (Getty Images)
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However, inmates may face longer periods of solitary confinement for “heinous and destructive” behavior, including harming others or obtaining deadly weapons. These circumstances allow for extensions of the limit to 15 consecutive days, or 20 days within a 60-day period.
In the lawsuit, advocacy groups accuse DOCCS of placing inmates in solitary confinement even though they do not meet the narrow standards set by the law.
One plaintiff, Luis Garcia, said he was sentenced to 730 days in solitary confinement for throwing what was believed to be bodily fluids at guards, which advocacy groups said did not meet the criteria for solitary confinement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
