Associated Press
NEW YORK — Dozens of protesters have gathered in Manhattan to bring attention to what they call inhumane conditions in state prisons.
The group descended on Union Square Thursday evening to protest solitary confinement in jails and prisons across the country.
They contend holding an inmate in solitary confinement for an extended period of time could “amount to torture.”
Advocate Jennifer Parish says the gathering was meant to bring more attention to the issue.
She believes that if more people knew about conditions in solitary confinement cells, they would be voicing objections.
The group is urging state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pass legislation that would create alternatives to isolated confinement. A proposed bill would limit how long prisoners could be held in solitary confinement and require additional training for correction officers.