New York officials has announced a settlement agreement under which the state will overhaul its solitary confinement practices and procedures.

The $62 million settlement comes in a lawsuit filed in 2012 by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU). Under the terms of the agreement, New York will reduce the number of inmates held in solitary confinement, reduce the maximum length of solitary confinement in most cases, and improve living conditions

New York State has recognized that solitary confinement is not only inhumane but detrimental to public safety and has committed to changing the culture of solitary within state prisons.