Solitary Confinement Still Exist in Juveniles Despite Legislation Passed

On February 19, 2014, DOCCS (Department of Community Corrections) came up with an alternative form of Solitary Confinement.  DOCCS entered into stipulation with a group of class action plaintiffs requiring jails to place 16 and 17 year-old inmates with long SHU (Secure Housing Unit) sentences in an alternative form of housing and will limit time in any in cell confinement to 19 hours a day for youth inmates. After interviewing Richard Gammara a former inmate, I was educated further on the issues of solitary confinement and the fact that although on paper it is said that a legislation was passed to put an end to solitary confinement in inmates under the age of 21 it still exist to this day. This is because Solitary Confinement is defined as being kept in isolation for 23 hours a day in a cell the size of a horse stable with 1 hour of recreation time also in a confined space. The only difference now with this new legislation that was passed, is that the time spent in isolation is now 19 hours as opposed to 23 hours but the difference of 5 hrs still includes being handcuffed to a chair or a table and furthermore with inmates that are also serving the same sentence this still leading to a hostile environment. Solitary Confinement still exist just a modified version.

Works Cited

"The Solitary Confinement of Youth in New York: A Civil Rights Violation","New York Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Right" 2014 December. http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/NY-SAC-Solitary-Confinement-Report-without-Cover.pdf  Web 17 Nov 2017