New York prisons use rooms without running water for contraband watch

Incarcerated individuals in New York’s state prison system are being held in rooms lacking running water, according to reports regarding the use of “special watch” or “contraband watch” rooms.

At Green Haven Correctional Facility, Rahkeem Brown reported being held for eight days in a medical unit room with only a mattress and a window that would not open. Brown, who was accused of hiding contraband, stated he was provided only minimal water and was forced to use a bucket for waste, leaving him unable to shower. He described the experience as mentally destabilizing.

Under prison agency directives, officers may use these rooms if there is “probable cause” to believe an inmate has swallowed or inserted contraband. While intended to facilitate the recovery of prohibited items, advocates such as Jerome Wright of the HALT Solitary Campaign describe these conditions as part of a pattern of “torture, brutality, and abuse” within the state prison system.