New York Gov. Cuomo signs law restricting solitary confinement, prompting criticism from union officials

Corrections union officials in New York are criticizing Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to sign into law a bill that imposes limits on when and for how long an inmate can be held in solitary confinement, saying it puts their officers – and other inmates – in greater danger, Fox News has learned.

It also creates new Residential Rehabilitation Units to provide inmates with "therapeutic and trauma-informed programming in a congregate setting" that will be more rehabilitative and "will better address an individual's underlying criminogenic needs," the release states. It will take effect in a year. "Generations of incarcerated men and women have been subjected to inhumane punishment in segregated confinement with little to no human interaction for extended periods of time and many experience emotional and physical trauma that can last for years," Cuomo said in a prepared statement. "By signing the HALT Solitary Confinement Act into law we are reforming New York's criminal justice system by helping ensure the effective implementation of proven, humane corrections policies.