
New York City lawmakers passed legislation Dec. 20 that will ban solitary confinement in the city’s jails. Introduced by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the bill puts a 4-hour limit on isolating inmates when there is an immediate threat or a high risk of violence to themselves or others in “de-escalation” units. Only inmates involved in violent acts should be placed in confinement for longer periods of time, but they would need to be out of their cells for 14 hours a day in order to receive the...