A court fight over Rikers Island’s future has produced thousands of pages about the jail complex’s troubled state. Inmate authors have produced thousands more.
A seemingly endless rotation between state forensic hospitals and city jails has meant that some mentally ill detainees stay in the system for years without ever standing trial.
Prolonged periods of being locked up alone can cause heart disease and mental health problems, experts say. Backers say the practice keeps guards safe.
The New York City Council is expected to approve a bill to ban solitary confinement this week over the objections of Mayor Eric Adams, who may veto it.