Explaining the New York State Prison Strike and the HALT Act

A statewide strike of approximately 15,000 corrections officers at nearly all of the 42 prisons operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has prompted conversations about major legal and policy issues impacting the safety and wellbeing of incarcerated individuals and employees inside the state's prisons, including the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act. This explainer examines the legal and policy implications of the HALT Act and its role in the discourse surrounding the statewide prison strike.