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New Mexico Prisoner Segregation Under Review

The head of New Mexico's Corrections Department says he's aiming to cut the number of state prisoners who are living in segregation by roughly half over the next year.

Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel outlined his plan Friday while testifying before a legislative committee as state and county officials responded to a recent report that criticized New Mexico's widespread use of solitary confinement in prisons and jails.

Nearly 10 percent of the state's 7,000 prisoners are living in segregation. That means they're locked down alone for up to 23 hours a day.

A recent report from the ACLU of New Mexico and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty says the practice of solitary confinement is in need of reform.

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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com

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