The city correction officers union is petitioning an oversight agency to allow guards to continue putting violent inmates in solitary confinement.
The petition, filed Tuesday with NYC Board of Collective Bargaining by the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association and obtained by The Post, argues that the city’s Board of Correction’s proposed rule to ban the practice is beyond the panel’s authority.
On Rikers Island, solitary confinement, also called punitive segregation, is used to punish inmates after jail infractions — such as hurling feces at guards or violently attacking another inmate — by putting them in a single cell for 23 hours a day.
Union president Elias Husamudeen argues any changes must be negotiated with the union, due to the uptick in violence between inmates in city jails — which rose by nearly 25 percent, according to the annual Mayor’s Management Report released in September.
“The proposed rule does nothing but jeopardize the safety of corrections officers, inmates and civilians in city jails,” Husamudeen said. “Inmates need to be held accountable for their actions.”
The union head argued that if these crimes were committed on the streets, the person would be “separated from the community” for safety — and that’s exactly what needs to happen in jails, he said.
The petition claims the city instead rewards violent inmates with pizza parties and a visit from former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Advocates against the practice say inmates who are locked in solitary are five times more likely to kill themselves. The state and city lawmakers have been working to limit the use of solitary — most recently capping the period of isolation to 30 days.
A spokesperson for BOC said, “The Board has proposed comprehensive rules to reform restrictive housing in the City’s jails, prioritizing safety and procedural justice for staff and people in custody. The Board values the insights and experience of jail staff and people in custody and we remain committed to further engagement throughout the rulemaking process.”