Three Years After Solitary Ban, NYC Youth Remain in Solitary Confinement

On January 12, 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made an announcement prohibiting solitary confinement for all those incarcerated 21 and younger at Rikers Island. As of this year, the city has yet to completely execute the ban’s implementation. The Mayor of New York has broken a promise to our youth, deadening a bright future before it could see light.

Evading the Law

Last month the New York Times revealed that since 2015, according to data from the Department of Corrections, New York City has conspicuously increased its transfer of incarcerated people to jails outside the city where the solitary ban is not legally binding. This dubious practice is effectively circumventing the city’s ban and allowing for the solitary confinement of youth incarcerated in New York City, including teenagers. Correctional officers have cited