Northeast
Judge rules New York state prisons violate law by holding inmates in solitary confinement too long
The New York state prison system has been violating state law by holding inmates in solitary confinement for longer than permitted, according to a state judge.
In a decision filed Thursday, State Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant said the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, or DOCCS, did not offer sufficient evidence against accusations that it has not adhered to the restrictions on solitary confinement outlined in state law.
“DOCCS has the responsibility to submit an administrative record that supports their actions and they have failed to meet this burden,” Bryant wrote.
The ruling comes after the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York filed a class action lawsuit last year alleging DOCCS frequently ignored the state’s Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act that was signed into law in 2021 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
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A solitary confinement cell is seen at New York City’s Rikers Island jail, Jan. 28, 2016. (AP)
“No one is above the law — that includes prison officials,” the NYCLU said in a statement posted Thursday on X. “We’ll be watching closely to ensure DOCCS starts complying with the law.”
DOCCS said in a statement to The Associated Press that it is reviewing the judge’s decision, and pointed to some recent changes made by the department since Commissioner Daniel Martuscello took over a year ago. This includes updates to the agency’s segregated confinement policies, such as additional steps of review like the new “Confinement Justification Record Form” that must be completed and signed by all review officers, hearing officers and superintendents.
Solitary confinement in most cases is limited to three consecutive days, or six days in any given 30-day period, according to state law.
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The New York state prison system has been violating a state law that limits the time an inmate can spend in solitary confinement, a state judge ruled. (Getty Images)
However, prisoners can face solitary confinement for longer periods of time for “heinous and destructive” actions, including injuring someone or acquiring a deadly weapon. Those cases allow an extended limit of 15 consecutive days, or 20 days in a 60-day period.
In the lawsuit, the advocacy groups accused DOCCS of holding inmates in solitary confinement even though they fail to meet the narrow criteria outlined in the law.
One plaintiff, Luis Garcia, said he was sentenced to 730 days in solitary confinement after throwing what was believed to be bodily fluids at guards, which the advocacy groups say did not meet the criteria for solitary confinement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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There isn’t a whole lot of heat in this version of the rivalry, but this one felt — and mostly looked — good. The Sox started with a former Yankee, Gray, who matched his season-high with 6⅓ innings, and closed with a former Yankee, Aroldis Chapman, who worked around a pair of walks in the ninth inning to record the save.
Willson Contreras and Andruw Monasterio hit home runs off lefthander Ryan Weathers (six innings, five runs). Contreras added another hit and RBI, and Monasterio snared Anthony Volpe’s line drive up the middle for a rally-killing unassisted double play in the fourth.
“Just a great game all around,” said interim manager Chad Tracy, who visited the current Yankee Stadium for the first time in any capacity.
Gray said: “There was definitely some juice.”
Chapman limped around the mound a bit in pursuit of the save because he has been dealing with a minor hamstring issue for about a week, Tracy said. But he has managed it and was able to pitch in the series opener, albeit wildly.
“We’re keeping an eye on it, but he’s grinding,” Tracy said. “He did a nice job. He obviously didn’t have his command the first couple of hitters, but then, like he always does, bears down and got it done.”
In his return to Yankee Stadium, a personal house of horrors through the years, including his 2017-18 stint with the Yankees, Gray limited the damage to three runs and eight hits. Ben Rice and Trent Grisham tagged him for home runs, but Gray was relieved that they were solo shots — acceptable on a night when he had “not even close” to his sharpest repertoire, he said.
He lowered his ERA in the Bronx to 5.95.
Gray’s outing featured virtually no pushback from the announced crowd of 43,750 (not a sellout).
In December, upon joining the Red Sox via trade with the Cardinals, Gray said that he “never wanted to go [to the Yankees] in the first place” and that it “feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, it’s easy to hate the Yankees.” His comments triggered an outrage cycle in New York.
Six months later, New York fans seemed indifferent about it. Gray garnered only a smattering of boos during pregame introductions, when the stands were not even half-full, and no discernable crowd reaction during the game.
Gray wondered if heightened emotion on his side led to his not being in top form.
“I’ll learn from it and be able to control my emotions and my energy and be able to just make pitches,” he said. “Felt really good, but I felt like my stuff just stayed up … It was fun. I’ve been back here and pitched, but first time with the Red Sox. But I’m glad we came away with a win.”
The Sox (27-35) took the lead for good in the third, when Contreras’s two-out check swing resulted in a soft bouncer to the third-base side of the mound. He beat it out for a single.
In the fifth, after the Yankees (37-26) had cut the deficit back to one, Contreras opened it up again with a two-run shot into the second deck in left field.
Lefthander Danny Coulombe relieved Gray in the seventh and got the final two outs of the inning. The last one was harder, though, because Contreras and Monasterio collided and dropped a foul pop from Rice. Monasterio said neither called for it.
Coulombe struck Rice out swinging on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.
“Next time, I’m going to call it,” Monasterio said. “I promise.”
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.
Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburg State Track and Field’s Blakelee Winn named National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
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