It's Friday night on Rikers Island, and about 15 teenagers from the Robert N. Davoren Complex (RNDC), a facility for male detainees, are in the classroom. Math and science textbooks line the wall, along with portraits of famous African-American leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman. Our two-hour lesson in hip-hop has just begun. In January 2015, New York City's Department of Correction (DOC) decided to ban solitary confinement for detainees at Rikers who are 21 and under. (That ban was already in effect for 16- and 17-year-olds but remains on hold for those 18 and up.) The decision, unanimously approved by the Board of Correction, came on the heels of horrendous headlines for the notorious institution. But the tragic story of Kalief Browder, who was confined for three years on the island without trial—coupled with other cases of beatdowns, corruption, and gang violence—continued to plague the massive jail complex. Finally, it seemed like the city, led by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte, wanted to do something about it.