A More Just New York City: Closing the Chapter on Rikers

By Independent Commission on NYC Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform

In April 2017, our Commission called for deep changes to the criminal justice system in New York City, including the permanent closure of the dysfunctional jail complex on Rikers Island. Today, we are closer than ever to that goal. A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSE RIKERS The administration’s current plan parallels, in important respects, the blueprint that our Commission put forward two-and-a-half years ago. It would reduce New York City’s eleven operating jails to four, cut the number of jail beds from 14,000 to fewer than 4,000, and reduce the number of people in jail to 3,300 or fewer. Rebuilding existing jails in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and establishing a new jail in the Bronx to replace the current jail boat docked off of Hunts Point, will improve safety and conditions for incarcerated people and correction officers. This smaller, borough-based system would mean that people in jail would be closer to their families, services, lawyers, and courts. This will speed cases, boost chances for re-entry, and reduce recidivism. Final designs must include robust input from all stakeholders, including nearby residents, formerly incarcerated people, and advocates.

New York: Independent Commission on NYC Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform: 2019. 16p.