A number of recent deaths have prompted questions about the notorious New York City jail complex. Here are some answers. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Rikers Island Prison Complex”
A Warning at Rikers on the Anniversary of a Deadly Prison Uprising
By Gotham Rex on September 15, 2021
The city’s public advocate warned that a debacle like the revolt at the Attica prison in 1971 could play out at Rikers, and soon. Source: New York Times
With Rikers in Crisis, Critics Wonder: Where Is Bill de Blasio?
By Gotham Rex on September 14, 2021
The mayor is facing growing calls to address chaotic and violent conditions inside New York City’s vast jail complex. Source: New York Times
Why Some in Chinatown Oppose a Museum Dedicated to Their Culture
By Gotham Rex on August 19, 2021
In Manhattan’s Chinatown, anti-gentrification protesters are furious over funding granted to a museum that they say doesn’t represent their community. Source: New York Times
Correction Officers Sue New York City Over Dangerous Jail Conditions
By Gotham Rex on July 16, 2021
The lawsuit comes as the city’s new correction chief acknowledged “severe” problems and promised to make changes. Source: New York Times
New York City Jails Resume In-Person Visits
By Gotham Rex on June 25, 2021
In-person visits will be available three days a week and coronavirus protocols will be in place. Source: New York Times
‘Disorder and Chaos’ in N.Y.C. Jails as Pandemic Recedes
By Gotham Rex on June 19, 2021
Six incarcerated people have died, a man accused of murder was accidentally released and a captain was charged with criminally negligent homicide, while the future of Rikers Island remains unclear. Source: New York Times
Guards Smuggled Drugs and Razors Into N.Y.C. Jails, Prosecutors Say
By Gotham Rex on May 26, 2021
The correction officers are accused of taking thousands of dollars in bribes to sneak contraband into the city’s jails. Source: New York Times
When Guards in New York City’s Jails Lie About Use of Force
By Gotham Rex on April 26, 2021
An analysis of a newly released database of disciplinary records shows that violence by officers continues to be a problem in the system. Source: New York Times
In NYC Jail System, Guards Often Lie About Excessive Force
By Gotham Rex on April 25, 2021
More than half of the roughly 270 correction officers disciplined over a 20-month period lied to investigators or filed incomplete or inaccurate reports. Source: New York Times
New York Will End Long-Term Solitary Confinement in Prisons and Jails
By Gotham Rex on April 1, 2021
Isolation for more than 15 consecutive days will be barred in prisons and jails starting next March after years of efforts to restrict the practice. Source: New York Times
As N.Y.C. Jails Become More Violent, Solitary Confinement Persists
By Gotham Rex on October 12, 2020
Even as Mayor Bill de Blasio has emptied out the city’s jails, the number of people who are placed in punitive segregation each year has remained about the same. Source: New York Times
Violence at Rikers at an ‘All-Time High’ Despite City’s Promise to Curb It
By Gotham Rex on August 6, 2020
A federal monitor found that the number of times guards at the jail complex used force against inmates rose 54 percent, even as its population shrank. Source: New York Times
The Mayor Blames the Virus for Shootings. Here’s What Crime Data Shows.
By Gotham Rex on August 4, 2020
Mr. de Blasio has pointed to court delays and bail reform to explain the surge in gun violence. But the N.Y.P.D.’s own numbers tell a different story. Source: New York Times
Should N.Y. Be Jailing Parolees for Minor Lapses During a Pandemic?
By Gotham Rex on August 2, 2020
On probation since 2018, Earl Russell was sent to Rikers for sleeping in his own bed instead of in the shelter where he was mandated to stay. Source: New York Times