New York City is finally ending its practice of solitary confinement for young inmates

New York City is finally ending its practice of solitary confinement for young inmates

New York City on Tuesday took the lead in a national movement to ban the use of solitary confinement as punishment for young inmates. A deal approved unanimously by the Board of Corrections will protect prisoners under the age of 21 from what a growing chorus of critics calls a violation of their basic human rights. + As part of the agreement, which comes into effect in 2016, correctional facilities will also be forbidden from holding inmates of any age in isolation for more than 30 consecutive days. + The concessions come under pressure from civil rights groups that have brought a series of lawsuits against the city in response to gut-wrenching reports of abuse and neglect at the Rikers Island jail, which holds an average of 11,000 people. + "An institution as profoundly broken as Rikers Island will require wholesale reform to transform into a humane environment that emphasizes treatment and rehabilitation over punishment and isolation, and these rules are a major step forward," NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman said in a press release.