Overview

• The DOCCS- and union-led committee proposed making sexual harassment, lewd conduct, and throwing bodily fluids eligible for segregated confinement, with clearer standards for riots, escapes, and gang-related extortion.
• The recommendations would allow up to three days of temporary protective custody in SHU or RRU when an immediate safety risk exists, with access to seven hours of out-of-cell time.
• The package permits up to 15 days in segregated housing for recidivist misconduct in general population and lets facilities tailor required out-of-cell time for repeat offenses in disciplinary units.
• The plan aligns discipline with state penal law by defining “violent felony act” and allows segregated confinement for either enumerated offenses or conduct judged “so heinous or destructive.”
• DOCCS and major employee unions endorsed the changes, while civil-rights and defender groups warned they would weaken HALT; the proposals follow months of meetings after the 2025 strike and a court order directing compliance with HALT.