Columbia County Sheriff's Office
HALT ACT
What is the HALT Act?
The Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (HALT), S.2836, will:
In accordance with the Human Alternative to Solitary Confinement (Halt Act) and requirement set forth in New York State Commission of Correction Standard 7076.7(b), below is the Columbia County Sheriff's Office report of the total number of people in segregated confinement.
It is the policy of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office that a sanction of "segregated confinement" as defined in SCOC part 7006.1 (b)(1) shall not be imposed on any incarcerated individual.
Segregated Confinement SCOS Part 7006.1 (b)(1) is the confinement of an incarcerated individual to an individual occupancy housing unit, in any form, for more than seventeen (17) hours a day, other than in a facility-wide emergency or for the purpose of providing medical or mental health treatment.
Record Keeping and Reporting 7076.7(b)
The Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (HALT), S.2836, will:
- Limit the use of segregated confinement in state prisons and county jails and implement alternative rehabilitative measures, including the creation of Residential Rehabilitation Units (RRU).
- Restrict the use of segregated confinement for all incarcerated persons for up to 15 days.
- Expand the definition of segregated confinement to include any form of cell confinement where an individual is held for more than 17 hours a day.
- Mandate additional out-of-cell time and rehabilitative programming for individuals diverted to rehabilitative units after the 15-day limit has been reached.
- Prohibit segregated confinement for special populations for any period of time.
- Special populations are:
- Individuals age 21 or younger,
- Individuals age 55 and over,
- Individuals with a disability,
- And individuals who are pregnant, up to eight weeks postpartum, or caring for children in a facility.
- Special populations are:
- Prohibit the denial of services, treatment, or basic needs such as clothing, food, and bedding while an individual is held in segregated confinement.
- Mandate that staff must undergo 37 hours and 30 minutes initial training prior to assignment on segregated confinement units and 21 additional hours, annually, after assignment.
- Add due process protections by prohibiting placement in segregated confinement prior to a disciplinary hearing and by allowing access to counsel.
- Require DOCCS to publish monthly reports on its website with semi-annual and annual cumulative reports of the total number of people in segregated confinement.
In accordance with the Human Alternative to Solitary Confinement (Halt Act) and requirement set forth in New York State Commission of Correction Standard 7076.7(b), below is the Columbia County Sheriff's Office report of the total number of people in segregated confinement.
It is the policy of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office that a sanction of "segregated confinement" as defined in SCOC part 7006.1 (b)(1) shall not be imposed on any incarcerated individual.
Segregated Confinement SCOS Part 7006.1 (b)(1) is the confinement of an incarcerated individual to an individual occupancy housing unit, in any form, for more than seventeen (17) hours a day, other than in a facility-wide emergency or for the purpose of providing medical or mental health treatment.
Record Keeping and Reporting 7076.7(b)
- Each facility shall publish monthly reports on its website, with semi-annual and annual cumulative report, of the total number of people who are in segregated confinement on the first day of each month. The reports shall provide a breakdown of the number of people in segregated confinement by:
- Age, race, gender, special health accommodations or needs and need for and participation in substance use disorder programs.