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 City Council vote has highlighted a broader debate over whether solitary confinement is torture or a legitimate form of punishment for violent detainees.
After a judge agreed to hear arguments on the issue, Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor joined the Legal Aid Society and other lawyers representing people detained in the jail complex in calling for a takeover.