New mayor directs city to develop compliance strategy for controversial ban opposed by predecessor
When Zohran Mamdani took office as New York City mayor on January 1, 2026, he inherited one of the city’s most intractable and troubling problems: horrific conditions at Rikers Island jail complex. His first week in office brought a significant shift in how the administration approaches the controversial issue of solitary confinement. Unlike his predecessor Eric Adams, who fought tooth and nail to block restrictions on solitary confinement, Mamdani signed an executive order directing city officials to develop a concrete plan to implement a solitary confinement ban passed by the City Council two years earlier.
The History of the Solitary Confinement Ban
The City Council passed Local Law 42 in 2023, establishing strict limits on solitary confinement at city jails. The law bans holding people in isolated cells for more than two hours per day within a 24-hour period and limits confinement to eight hours at night immediately after alleged offenses. Solitary confinement, which the United Nations has characterized as torture when prolonged, has been linked to brain damage, increased suicide risk, and psychological deterioration. Advocates have long argued that alternatives to solitary confinement exist and are preferable both ethically and practically. The law represented a historic victory for decarceration advocates and criminal justice reform organizations after years of negotiation and pressure.
Adams Administration Opposition
Former Mayor Eric Adams and his Department of Correction commissioner fought against Local Law 42 vigorously. Adams vetoed the City Council bill, but the Council overrode his veto with overwhelming support. Adams then challenged the law in court, arguing that restrictions on solitary confinement would endanger both correction officers and incarcerated people. When those legal challenges ultimately failed, Adams resorted to a state of emergency declaration that allowed the Department of Correction to bypass the law’s requirements. Throughout his term, Adams renewed the emergency declaration every five days like clockwork, effectively freezing implementation of Local Law 42.
Emergency Declaration and Board of Correction Rules
The state of emergency dates back to November 2021 when Mayor Bill de Blasio first declared it, citing COVID-19 chaos. De Blasio then used the emergency to suspend multiple Board of Correction Minimum Standards governing jail conditions. These standards regulated inmate hygiene, overcrowding, cell time, and solitary confinement. While emergency declarations serve important purposes during genuine crises, critics argued that Adams’ repeated five-day renewals represented an abuse of executive power designed simply to avoid implementing policies he opposed. The emergency was never intended to last indefinitely as a substitute for actual policy implementation.
Mamdani’s Different Approach
When Mamdani took office, the emergency declaration was set to expire on January 6, 2026. He faced a choice: allow Board of Correction rules to take effect or renew the emergency. On Monday evening, January 6, Mamdani extended the emergency declaration but signaled a fundamentally different approach than his predecessor. While continuing the emergency temporarily, he ordered the Department of Correction and Law Department to develop a comprehensive plan within 45 days to bring city jails into compliance with Local Law 42 and Board of Correction Minimum Standards. This directive, he stated, was meant to end indefinite emergency extensions without any path to compliance.
Mamdani’s Statement on Rikers Reform
Mamdani declared: The previous administration’s refusal to meet their legal obligations on Rikers has left us with troubling conditions that will take time to resolve. We are now looking to do is to bring an end to the era where city government would simply extend something every five days without any plan of what compliance can look like. His statement acknowledged both the severity of conditions at Rikers and the reality that solving entrenched problems takes time and coordination.
Support From Decarceration Advocates
Criminal justice reformers and incarcerated people’s advocates applauded Mamdani’s shift. Victor Pate, co-director of the HALT Solitary Campaign, expressed optimism that Mamdani would move away from the illegal and ill-advised emergency orders of the Adams administration. The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless, which represent incarcerated people, welcomed the directive. These organizations viewed Mamdani’s move as evidence that a mayor committed to decarceration had taken office.
Resistance From Correction Officers Union
The Correction Officers Benevolent Association and other correction unions opposed the solitary confinement restrictions. Union leaders argued that isolating violent inmates is essential to staff safety and to protecting other incarcerated people. Correction Officer union president Benny Boscio called on Mamdani to tour the jails and speak directly with officers before allowing the emergency order to expire. The union perspective reflects genuine safety concerns that both progressive administrators and reform advocates must address when implementing restrictions on corrections practices.
Federal Oversight and Remediation Manager
Complicating Mamdani’s implementation effort is federal oversight of Rikers. Federal Judge Laura Swain, who has overseen jail conditions through the Nunez v. City of New York civil rights case, stripped the city of direct control over Rikers in 2024 and ordered appointment of a remediation manager. This third-party oversight means that Mamdani’s commissioner must work closely with federal authorities, constraining the mayor’s direct control over jail operations. The federal involvement reflects the depth of problems at Rikers that have persisted despite multiple mayoral administrations.
Larger Rikers Closure Timeline
New York State law requires closure of all jails on Rikers by August 2027 and replacement with four smaller borough-based facilities. However, construction on those replacement jails is years behind schedule. The jail population continues to rise. Most observers expect the City Council to extend the Rikers closure deadline as the replacement facilities will not be ready in time. How Mamdani manages Rikers during what may become an extended timeline remains a major challenge for his administration.
Authority Links for Criminal Justice Information
For detailed information about Rikers Island and jail conditions, consult the Prison Policy Initiative. Information about solitary confinement is available at the HALT Solitary Campaign. Criminal justice reform perspectives are provided by Legal Aid Society. Data on incarceration and jail conditions appears at Prison Policy Initiative.
