All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.
— International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights submits this comment to the Board of Correction’s (Board) regarding the Board’s proposed new and amended rules concerning restrictive housing in New York City’s correctional facilities.
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is an international human rights organization dedicated to realizing Robert Kennedy’s vision of a more just and peaceful world, inclusive of advocating for an end to the United States’ over reliance on incarceration and the elimination of unjust pretrial detention policies that disproportionately affect the poor and communities of color. As this Board prepares to revise the rules on restrictive housing, we submit this comment in solidarity with survivors of solitary and their families, community activists, faith leaders, and elected officials. We urge you to completely abolish punitive segregation (PSEG) and prolonged solitary confinement in New York City jails by adopting the Blueprint put forward by the NYC Jails Action Coalition and the #HALTsolitary Campaign.