New York mayor says violence-torn jail complex to close

By Peter Szekely

 

People attend a protest march to shut down Rikers Island prison in the Queens borough of New York, U.S., September 24, 2016. REUTERS/Bria Webb/Files

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's massive Rikers Island jail complex will close in as little as 10 years, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday, saying falling crime levels had paved the way toward shuttering the troubled facility.

 

The decision by the Democratic mayor follows a 9 percent drop in the city's overall crime rate over three years, and an even larger drop in the inmate population.

 

"If we can continue on that trajectory, it will allow us to get off Rikers Island," de Blasio told a City Hall press conference. "So Job 1 is to continue the work of reducing crime."

 

The mayor's announcement came as a 27-member panel that has been studying Rikers Island for more than a year prepared to unveil its findings on Sunday.

 

The panel will recommend a $10.6 billion plan to close Rikers and replace it with smaller jails in each of the city's five boroughs, the New York Times reported.

 

New York's inmate population, most of which is held on Rikers Island in the East River between the Bronx and Queens, has fallen to 9,300 from more than 11,000 three years ago, according the Elizabeth Glazer, who heads the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.

 

De Blasio said it would have to drop to 5,000 to close Rikers, which has been marred by widely reported cases of violence, including charges that prison guards brutally abused inmates.

 

Officials believe the city can reach the goal of an inmate population totalling 5,000 in 10 years. But the mayor said the timetable could be extended if the number of inmates fails to shrink quickly enough.

 

De Blasio's announcement was welcomed by Seymour James, chief attorney of the Legal Aid Society. The group provides free legal services to the city's indigent defendants, many of whom are awaiting trial at Rikers Island.

 

"From our daily interactions with clients at Rikers and their stories about rampant violence and abuse, we know first-hand the destructive consequences this facility has for the families its touched," he said.

 

De Blasio said he was not "buying into" the 27-member panel's reported borough-based proposal for replacement jails, but added that he wants as few new facilities as possible.

 

Although it will be left to his successor to complete the task, de Blasio said his agreement with City Council President Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a relentless advocate for closing the facility, was unlikely to change.

 

"I think it would be tough for a successor in either of our roles to turn against this decision unless they had a damn good reason," the mayor said.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-01

Rikers Island is a blight on the prison system and should be replaced.  Probably more crime committed there than the entire state of NY with both inmates and guards bullying the more unfortunate persons in there for minor problems and unable to defend themselves against real criminals.  Never experienced it myself but have heard horror stories from friends who committed a minor offense and were forced to wait there, even overnight, to be released on bond.

It's not the jail but the prisoners.

14 minutes ago, USPatriot said:

It's not the jail but the prisoners.

Oh, really?   So prison officials can use violence and abuse against some prisoners?   

 

Perhaps you have a link to t

hose prisoners which deserve to be abused and to which prison officials which have special immunity to be abusive?   

 

Prisoners pose a danger to officials and other inmates, but the use of abusive behavior is against the law.   I find it strange that many zoos can move dangerous animals around without causing harm or damage.    

 

Edited April 1, 20179 yr by Credo

9 minutes ago, Credo said:

Oh, really?   So prison officials can use violence and abuse against some prisoners?   

 

Perhaps you have a link to t

hose prisoners which deserve to be abused and to which prison officials which have special immunity to be abusive?   

 

Prisoners pose a danger to officials and other inmates, but the use of abusive behavior is against the law.   I find it strange that many zoos can move dangerous animals around without causing harm or damage.    

 

Let me simplify this for you.  

It's not the jail causing the problems it is the prisoners.

No, it's the officials causing the problem.  

Just last week, US put out a statement outlining human rights abuses in Thailand. What a joke the US is. People who live in glass houses etc. "Let you without sin cast the first stone" etc

May I suggest you get your own house in order before you judge anyone else in the world.

7 hours ago, spiderorchid said:

Just last week, US put out a statement outlining human rights abuses in Thailand. What a joke the US is. People who live in glass houses etc. "Let you without sin cast the first stone" etc

May I suggest you get your own house in order before you judge anyone else in the world.

Prison officials abusing prisoners and being charged and disciplined is a little different than human rights abuses condoned by the government and for which no one is charged, disciplined or in any way sanctioned.   Unless, of course, being moved to an inactive post with full pay is considered a punishment and even that usually doesn't happen.