New York City is one step closer, as part of a larger plan, to shutting the doors on the Rikers Island jail complex. On Wednesday, city officials announced an agreement to start a public review process of proposed sites for smaller jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.
"This agreement marks a huge step forward on our path to closing Rikers Island," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "In partnership with the City Council, we can now move ahead with creating a borough-based jail system that's smaller, safer and fairer."
If you've ever watched a TV crime drama set in New York City, you likely have a passing knowledge of the 10-complex jail facility on the 400-acre island in the East River.
However, the nearly 90-year-old facility has drawn attention for its conditions, and a 2017 government report slammed Rikers for its "culture of violence." Late last year the city settled a class action lawsuit with 470 inmates who said they were illegally put in solitary confinement.
Mayor de Blasio had originally proposed overhauling Rikers, but early last year decided to support a plan to replace it. Still, his 10-year timeline may not be fast enough for some. The New York Times reported Wednesday on a scathing new report from the state's Commission of Correction, which criticizes the decade-long timeline, and says the panel will "examine steps to expeditiously close Rikers and to ensure that the constitutional rights of inmates and staff are protected."
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