Closing Rikers Cannot Wait

By Victoria Lawson, Research Project Director

Rikers Island is in a state of “unprecedented crisis” brought into stark relief by the death of 12 people in Department of Correction custody this year. While the Department is working to improve conditions in the jails, its efforts are hampered by the deteriorating condition of the existing facilities. It is more important than ever before that the City of New York make good on its promise to close Rikers Island and move to a safer, more humane borough-based system.

In April 2017, the Independent Commission on NYC Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform—on which our Executive Director Michael Jacobson serves as a Commissioner—released a report calling for the closure of the jails on Rikers Island and a shift to a safer, more humane, borough-based system. The Commission called out the dilapidated, deteriorating conditions in the current facilities and the dangerous and inhospitable environment within them for staff and incarcerated people alike. Conditions have worsened exponentially in recent months, with Mayor de Blasio declaring a state of emergency and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and others describing the jail as a “humanitarian crisis” following a visit with other lawmakers earlier this month; four New York members of Congress have called for its immediate closure. While the dire nature of the current situation necessitates immediate action, including actions recently described by DOC Commissioner Schiraldi, it also underscores the need for the long-term solution that the Commission continues to push for. An updated blueprint for how this can and should be achieved was laid out a recently-released report by Dr. Jacobson and Elizabeth Glazer, former Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.

Mayor de Blasio has committed to such a solution, setting forth an ambitious plan to reduce the jail population and construct new facilities in four of the five boroughs, closing Rikers once and for all. Now more than ever, it is essential that this plan move forward. Closing Rikers is a path to not only improving conditions for those detained in NYC jails, but also to reducing reincarceration and investing in communities. But without new or rebuilt borough-based jails, there is no viable path to doing so.   

The evidence strongly favors a new system of local jails

1. A borough-based jail system saves billions of dollars that can be invested in communities.
   Modern facilities allow for direct supervision and a lower staffing ratio; combined with a reduced jail population (down to a target population of 3,300 from almost 10,000 at the time of the Commission report and 5,626 currently), the savings could be nearly $2 billion annually once the new jail system is up and running.

2. Neighborhood jails are better for families and support services.
   The challenges of getting to Rikers make it difficult for families to visit their loved ones, yet visitation improves outcomes for incarcerated people and can even have public safety benefits. Similarly, neighborhood jails facilitate better connections to services, including reentry services to support a successful return to the community upon release.

3. Crime rates and property values are not negatively affected by neighborhood jails.
   Neighborhood jails have not been found to impact crime rates or property values in the surrounding communities.

4. The deteriorating physical condition of Rikers is itself a direct contributor to violence.
   The current facilities on Rikers have numerous problems, from sewage backups to decaying floors to inadequate heat and air conditioning. Besides the impact to health and well-being, these conditions create safety risks for incarcerated individuals and staff alike. Numerous cell doors do not lock properly, and weapons can and have been created from broken equipment and other building materials, accounting for as many as 8 in 10 weapons found within the facilities.

5. Rebuilding on Rikers Island costs billions more than building local facilities.
   Due to the isolated nature of the Island, building on Rikers is considerably more expensive and time-consuming than building off-island—the Commission estimated that it would cost roughly $2 billion more and take an additional two years compared to building new borough-based facilities.

Closing Rikers Once and For All: An Opportunity for the Next Mayor

Even before the horrific conditions that engendered the current humanitarian crisis, the violence and poor conditions in the Rikers Island jail facilities were well-known, and have continued unabated despite a historic drop in crime and oversight by a federal monitor. The facilities themselves have deteriorated beyond what can be fixed through repairs, maintenance, or even basic renovation. The next mayor of New York City has a singular, once-in-a-generation opportunity to make things better for all of those in our community touched by jails or crime in New York City—we cannot let it slip by. We urge the next mayor to offer full support to the move to a borough-based system, the path to which is outlined in this new report from seasoned public safety professionals including ISLG’s executive director. Closing Rikers cannot and should not wait.