Mayor defends decision to suspend solitary confinement law

It seems like the city council and the mayor can’t agree on almost anything lately.

On Saturday, Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order repealing parts of a new law banning solitary confinement in prisons.

The order declared a state of emergency, overriding part of the law that limits the detention of inmates at Rikers Island who pose a security risk to four hours.

The mayor explained his approach on Monday.

“I will not put the correctional officers of the civilian population in danger. I will not do that,” he said.

Adams argued that the federal inspector general overseeing the prison complex had concerns about the law’s implementation, which partly led to his decision.

The law was set to take effect on Sunday after the City Council overrode its veto of the bill in January.

“The emergency order came after days of negotiations with the council’s legal team. Our team sat down with them and negotiated and explained: Listen, this is what the monitor is saying. This monitor was put in place to ensure security on Rikers Island and we just hit an impasse,” the mayor said Monday at an unrelated event.

The decree is merely the latest conflict in the difficult relationship between the mayor and the city council.

Local politicians condemned the move, including Manhattan City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, one of the bill’s main sponsors.

“We just feel that this is consistent behavior that is really counterproductive to what the council is trying to do, which is to pass laws that are considerate of every New Yorker,” she said.

Former council speaker Melissa Mark Viverito pointed out that the mayor and city council play an important role in creating local laws.

“We live in a democracy. The city council is an important check on local government. The mayor may not like it, but that’s his role,” she said.

Adams’ resistance is not new. His administration is refusing to implement changes to the city’s rental voucher program, also known as CityFHEPS. That fight is now heading to court.

Last week, Adams managed to temporarily block an attempt by council members to gain more control over mayoral appointments. His charter revision commission recommended five ballot questions, preventing a vote on the City Council proposal.

“These steps are counterproductive and we really want a better working relationship, but it’s incredibly difficult when something like this happens,” Rivera said.

Earlier this month, the City Council passed a resolution empowering the council speaker to take legal action against the new law.

“We have come together responsibly for many, many years to enforce this ban on solitary confinement. This is something we want to defend,” Rivera said.