One day before Law 42 was set to go into effect, NYC Mayor Eric Adams issued an emergency order to stop this restriction on solitary confinement. This isn’t the first time the mayor has publicly opposed this law.
Mayor Adams has long been a vocal opponent of Law 42, vetoing it in January 2024 before the city council ultimately overrode him. He even falsely asserted that the law wouldn’t allow restraints for inmates in transit. The mayor’s critics have pushed back.
Many city council members and prison advocates believe Law 42 is a step in the right direction. Why the mayor would allow torture to continue is open to question. Ultimately he’s placing incarcerated people in even greater danger.
The United Nations has recognized solitary confinement as cruel and unusual punishment and as a violation of human rights. Historically, Mayor Adams has used veiled language like “punitive segregation” to avoid the stigmatizing term “solitary confinement’s stigma.” But it’s still the same thing.
It is absurd that Mayor Adams is impeding progress. If people want this to change, they’ll have to reject any obstacle to preserve such a horrible practice.