NYC’s solitary confinement ban will ‘exacerbate the already dangerous conditions’ in jails, warns federal monitor

New York City’s solitary confinement ban “is a serious threat” to the safety of inmates and staff, according to the federal monitor overseeing the city’s jail system, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

In a letter to the city council, the federal monitor argued that the city’s move to prohibit jails from placing potentially violent inmates in solitary confinement would only “exacerbate the already dangerous conditions” in the jails.

In December, the city council pushed through a controversial measure, Bill 549-A, that would only allow jail staff to separate inmates who have engaged in violence while in custody, Blaze News previously reported. Those inmates can only be isolated for four hours at a time in a “de-escalation” unit, the Post reported. All inmates must receive 14 hours of out-of-cell time per day, according to the bill.

Supporters of the measure claimed that solitary confinement amounts to torture and should only be used in extreme circumstances. Critics argued that the bill would endanger other inmates and jail staff.

New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams and police and jail guard unions strongly opposed the measure, which passed through the City Council in a 39-7 vote.

The federal monitor’s recent letter to the City Council contended that solitary confinement is an “essential component” to maintaining jail safety, warning that the measure would “undermine the overall goals of protecting individuals” behind bars.

“Those who engage in serious violence while in custody must be supervised in a manner that is different from that used for the general population,” the letter continued. “The Monitoring Team strongly believes…that the various operational requirements and constraints that accompany the elimination of solitary confinement in Council Bill 549-A will likely exacerbate the already dangerous conditions in the jails.”

The federal monitors further claimed that mandating a “global approach to out-of-cell time” would “significantly endangers both persons in custody and staff and is not consistent with sound correctional practice.”

“The Department must be able to effectively separate those who have engaged in serious acts of violence from potential victims and, to some degree, limit their freedom of movement when they are engaged in congregate activity outside their cells,” it added.

The monitoring team also claimed that the restrictions could hinder the Department of Correction’s ability to comply with the 2015 Nunez court orders, which aimed to reduce jail violence and use of force by guards, the Post reported.

In a separate letter to the City Council, Department of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie wrote, “I believe I must warn you that implementing Intro. 549-A as written is a serious threat to the safety of incarcerated people and DOC staff; the very people we are supposed to protect.”

“Separating persistently violent individuals from the general population is critical to maintaining a safe correctional environment,” she continued. “That separation needs to be administered humanely, but it also must provide a meaningful deterrent for violent behavior.”

A spokesperson for City Hall stated that the administration is “exceptionally grateful to the federal monitor for providing guidance on Intro 549-A and validating precisely what Mayor Adams has been saying all along — this bill could endanger both our Department of Correction staff and those in our care.”

“The monitor also notes that this bill could impede our ability to comply with the Nunez court orders — something this legislation’s staunchest supporters claim to care deeply about,” the spokesperson added.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!