Southern District Judge Shira Scheindlin Wednesday approved a deal between the state’s prison system and civil liberties lawyers to reform solitary confinement. The agreement arose from Peoples v. Fischer, 11 CV- 2694, a class action lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union against the New York State Department of Community Corrections (DOCCS), alleging it that used confinement sanctions to penalize a disproportionate number of black and mentally ill prisoners for behavior that did not endanger other prisoners.
Under the agreement, the NYCLU will suspend the litigation for 24 months while DOCCS implements a series of reforms intended to curb the abuse of solitary confinement. Each side has designated an expert to produce recommendations, which will be used to develop reforms and new training materials.
