Eric Adams Loses Battle With New York City Council Over Solitary Confinement

This is an interesting fight....

The New York City Council reigned supreme in the fight against a solitary confinement ban. In a historic vote on Jan. 30, the council overrode Mayor Eric Adams’ vetoes on a solitary confinement ban and a bill to document police stops, ABC News reports.

The 42-9 vote spoke volumes for victims of police brutality and the public safety of city residents. “Public safety is a collective effort, but it can only be achieved when there is transparency and accountability and policing,” City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said.

“Black and Latino New Yorkers continue to be disproportionately subjected to unconstitutional stops that go underreported. Civilian complaints of misconduct are at their highest levels in a decade. These stops can no longer happen in the shadows.”

The New York City Council passed legislation on Dec. 20, 2023, banning solitary confinement in city jails. Introduced by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the bill limits isolating inmates to four hours when there is an immediate threat or a high risk of violence to themselves or others in “de-escalation” units.

Only inmates involved in violent acts should be placed in confinement for more extended periods, but they would need to be out of their cells for 14 hours a day to receive the same programming that other inmates have access to.

Legislation requiring police stop documentation is called the “How Many Stops.” The bill will require NYPD officers to report publicly on civilian stops and searches, collecting data. To justify the cause of said offenses, bill supporters allege it isn’t intended to apply to non-investigative or informal conversations with city residents and guests.

Adams, a former NYPD captain, slammed the council’s decision. He claims “the Department of Correction would no longer be able to protect people in custody, or the union workers charged with their safety, from violent individuals” if the bill goes into effect. But legislators argue the bill protects those locked up and will reduce violence in correctional facilities and end a practice they say causes “harm” to incarcerated populations.

According to Politico, conservative Common Sense Caucus members agree with Adams. Council and caucus member Robert Holden feels this will just increase officers’ workload, increasing the risk of crime.

“We’re asking fewer police officers to do a lot more,” Holden said. “That makes no sense.”

This isn’t the first time the Adams administration has spoken out against legislation it did not like. In December 2023, the City Hall admitted its resistance to embedding a series of housing voucher bills vetoed by Adams after the council overrode him.