In New York, a judge has temporarily reversed a decision by the state's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to suspend restrictions on the use of solitary confinement, which were established under the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act, commonly known as the HALT Act. According to Gothamist, the order from Judge Daniel Lynch states that DOCCS did not provide rational basis for the continued suspension beyond the planned 90 days, initially intended to address staff shortages during a corrections officers' strike.
The court's decision came after the Legal Aid Society brought a lawsuit against DOCCS on behalf of six inmates. After corrections officers ended their strike, DOCCS had promised to restore compliance with the HALT Act on a "facility-by-facility" basis. However, Lynch's ruling indicates that DOCCS exceeded its authority, essentially allowing an exception in the face of emergencies to potentially undermine the entire reform law. News From The States reports that the injunction will not take effect until next Friday, with the judge ordering DOCCS to issue legally compliant emergency declarations if they wish to suspend the law at specific facilities.
Riley Doyle Evans, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, told Gothamist, "No agency in the executive has the authority to suspend a duly enacted law." Evans pointed out that his clients and others had been "subjected, unlawfully, to prolonged solitary confinement for months — with DOCCS not providing justification." The HALT Act itself came into effect in 2022, and it aims to limit solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days and 20 days within a 60-day period.
While the department did not respond to requests for comments regarding the suspension or the lawsuit, the ruling by Judge Lynch has been hailed as a victory for prisoner's rights. Antony Gemmell, supervising attorney with the Legal Aid Society’s Prisoners’ Rights Project, said in a sentiment echoing across his team's spirits, which News From The States reports, "This decision reaffirms that no agency — regardless of political pressure — can unilaterally disregard laws enacted to protect human rights." As DOCCS reviews the decision, they must now provide justification if they wish to suspend parts of the HALT Act due to emergencies at individual facilities.
