NYC Mayor signs emergency order suspending parts of law limiting solitary confinement

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has issued an emergency order to suspend parts of a bill that would limit the time prisoners spend in solitary confinement.

The mayor passed an emergency order on Saturday suspending parts of the law, including banning solitary confinement in city jails and establishing standards for using restrictive housing and emergency lock-ins. The order will remain in effect until 30 days have passed or it is rescinded. The law took effect on Sunday.

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Why was the emergency order passed?

The order suspends the limits on how much time a detained person can spend in solitary confinement and limits how detained individuals are restrained in transport. Mayor Adams states in the order that the law "would be dangerous and would subject incarcerated individuals and staff to further risk of harm."

What would the law do?

It would do the following, according to the city council's website:

• Limit the time a person can spend in solitary confinement to four hours, unless it falls under an "exceptional circumstances."
• Limit "restrictive housing" to no more than 30 consecutive days and no more than 60 days within any 12-month period
• Set limits on how the Department of corrections, DOC, can use emergency lock-ins
• Requires the DOC to regularly report on its use of "de-escalation confinement, restrictive housing, and emergency lock-ins."
• Provide detained peoples "due process protections prior to being placed in restrictive housing or continued use of restraints."

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz