The New York Civil Liberties Union says state prison use of solitary confinement puts more than 4,000 prisoners into forced isolation that deprives them of meaningful human interaction and mental stimulation, while forcing idleness that fails to prepare them for release. More from WAMC's Dave Lucas
In its report out tuesday, the NYCLU says that from 2007 to 2011, New York issued more than 68,100 sentences to isolation for violations of prison rules, averaging five months each, though some inmates are kept there for years.
Corrections officials say separations are used to maintain prison safety and security in dealing with disruptive or violent inmates.
State data show 54,537 prison inmates across New York, with 8 percent or 4,286 in disciplinary confinement.
(c)2012 Associated Press
