Jail advocates rip gov over solitary confinement bill

Solitary confinement is “inhumane,” but kindness is costly, says Gov. Cuomo.

Cuomo drew the ire of criminal justice advocates, some of whom are on a hunger strike, when he claimed Tuesday to support a bill that would end long-term solitary confinement, but raised concerns about how much the move could wind up costing the state.

“I am in favor of better, safer, more humane procedures,” Cuomo told WCNY’s Susan Arbetter. “What the current proposal does, however, it mandates that the state and local jails build a new type of jail.”

Cuomo estimated new facilities and units would cost $350 million and another $1 billion statewide for local jails.

Proponents of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term bill say the governor is mischaracterizing the measure.

“The alternative units that the governor is referencing in his statement would be limited to a small population of people who could be housed in existing facilities, but with a greater amount of time out-of-cell, meaningful programs, and interaction with other people,” a spokesman for the #HALTsolitary Confinement Campaign said in a statement.

The HALT Act would ban prisons from holding inmates away from others for more than 15 consecutive or 20 days total in a 60-day time frame. It would also ban the practice for those younger than 21 years old and older than 55, and for people with physical and mental disabilities.

Over 2,400 people were in solitary as of June 1, according to the state Department of Corrections.

Correction officers from around the state have spoken out against the measure, arguing that it would needlessly put them in danger.

“We firmly believe that any legislative effort to further restrict how long violent inmates can spend in punitive segregation, even after viciously assaulting our members, or other inmates, sends a dangerous message to these inmates-there are zero consequences for committing crimes behind bars,” said city Correction Officers Benevolent Association President Elias Husamudeen, whose organization submitted a memo of opposition against the bill.

Dozens of advocates, including some who survived solitary, have been on a hunger strike since last Thursday, consuming only liquids as they demand the state overhaul isolated confinement. Several of the demonstrators planned to hold a vigil in the Capitol late Tuesday to raise awareness for their cause.

Activist Roger Clark, a community leader with VOCAL-NY who has spent time in solitary, said Cuomo is wrong.

“He has more than enough facilities to do the rehabilitative residential units right now,” Clark said. “I know the traumatic impact of solitary and I’m still suffering the effects and I’m adamant he should end solitary confinement right now.”

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) indicated talks are ongoing between his chamber, the Senate and the governor’s office.

“I hope we can get to a place where all parties are happy,” Heastie said.

A Democratic insider said there is still a chance that the two chambers could pass the bill without Cuomo’s help before the end of the legislative session on Wednesday.