New York City’s Rikers Island prison will be taken over by the US federal government, according to a judicial ruling Tuesday.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the Southern District Court of New York wrote that she found the conduct of the city toward the prison responsible for a delay in needed improvement:
“[T]he last nine years also leave no doubt that continued insistence on compliance with the Court’s orders by persons answerable principally to political authorities would lead only to confrontation and delay,” Swain wrote. The judge then addressed the management structure:
“[T]he current management structure and staffing are insufficient to turn the tide within a reasonable period; that Defendants have consistently fallen short of the requisite compliance with Court orders for years, at times under circumstances that suggest bad faith; and that enormous resources—that the City devotes to a system that is at the same time overstaffed and underserved—are not being deployed effectively.”
A remediation manager will be appointed to oversee the status of the prison for the next three years. Swain wrote that improvements must be made over this period of time.
In 2023, a report revealed serious unsanitary conditions at the prison, including various contagious insects, mice, rotted showers, and poor ventilation.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams – who is currently running for re-election for mayor as an independent candidate – is not against the federal takeover of the NYC prison. He finds the prison to have improved during his tenure, but is content with the judge’s decision:
“I’m going to follow whatever rule she puts in place, because she has the authority to do so,” Adams said.
Adams noted certain obstacles to the prison’s improvement, citing a law for the prison’s closure in 2027:
“Because of the 2027 law that was passed, we cannot put money into capital improvements on Rikers. So when you look at the women’s locker room, it’s disgusting. When you look at some of the major improvements you need with the doors and the facilities, we can’t do that.”
