Corrections officers rally to repeal act that limits time inmates stay in solitary confinement

ROCHESTER, N.Y. New York state corrections officers are repeating their call for a repeal of the ‘halt act.’ The union that represents those officers kicked off a series of rallies today, highlighting skyrocketing violence and poor morale inside prisons statewide.

The ‘halt act,’ which was recently passed in April, puts a cap on how long an inmate can stay in solitary confinement, which corrections officers say puts their deputies, and other inmates, at risk.

“Law and order in our prisons has been taken away. It is unsafe for, not just those men and women working in the prisons, but for the inmates themselves,” said Tom O’Mara, New York State Senator.

Halt, or humane alternatives to long-term solitary confinement, limits the use of segregated confinement for all people to just 15 days, and aims to use rehabilitative measures to calm down the prisoner.