The New York State Senate voted to pass the HALT Act on Thursday, which would limit the use of solitary confinement to 15 days and implement alternative rehabilitation methods for inmates.

It now goes to the governor’s desk for his signature.

“This is a sign that we are turning the corner on humanity and turning a corner on compassion, and stopping that torturous and barbaric practice of solitary confinement,” said Marvin Mayfield, the lead statewide organizer for the Center for Community Alternatives.

His group advocates for criminal justice and helps formerly incarcerated people find jobs and housing. Mayfield knows firsthand how solitary can affect a person.

“The first thing I remember is that it was completely, completely filthy. And like I said, it was a mental observation unit, so there were people going in and out of there who were at various stages of their mental health. There was feces on the wall, there was garbage. It was just completely, completely subhuman," Mayfield said.

Back in 2015, the United Nations adopted the Nelson Mandela Rules, which set a minimum standard for humane treatment of prisoners. It ruled that solitary confinement should only be imposed in exceptional circumstances, and that solitary for more than 15 days is considered torture.

Mayfield says that the effects of his four months in solitary stick with him to this day.

“In a crowded subway car, I would get this anxiety, panic. I had reservations about getting in elevators, any place small or tight, something that I didn’t experience prior to that,” he said.

Mayfield thinks this is a good first step, but more still needs to be done so that incarcerated people can lead productive lives and be rehabilitated, instead of just punished.

“They need housing, job training. They need mental health services that need to be expanded, rather than continually funneling money through prisons," Mayfield said.