By C1 Staff
MALONE, NY — Following a report in October claiming the abusive overuse of solitary confinement in an New York state prison, the New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit.
The report claimed that roughly 8 percent of inmates in New York are in solitary confinement, spending 23 hours each day locked in a cell alone, according to the North Country Public Radio.
In its lawsuit, the NYCLU is alleging that inmates are placed in solitary without proper review to determine the appropriateness of the sentence or the physical and psychological risks isolation might pose. It also claims that African-American are placed in isolation more often and for longer periods.
The suit also alleges that one in five inmates actually pose a risk to officers or others.
At the time of the report, the Department of Corrections issued a statement that placing inmates in solitary confinement is sometimes necessary “to protect those in our custody as well as our employees.”
The NYCLU is asking for new policies and procedures as well as staff training and supervision, in order to make use of isolation cells less frequent.