NYC In Focus

By Howard Weiss

July 9, 2024

Location: U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

On July 9, 2024, a coalition of community groups, elected officials, and individuals directly impacted by the conditions at Rikers Island convened outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan. Their unified demand: the immediate appointment of an independent receiver to oversee the notorious jail complex.

The rally, organized by the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, drew over 75 advocacy groups and numerous city and state legislators. Senator Julia Salazar, Chair of the New York State Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime, and Correction, stated, “The conditions at Rikers have been egregiously dangerous and inhumane for far too long. Control over Rikers must be stripped from the City and put in the hands of a federal receivership.”

Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest emphasized the urgency of the situation: “The time has come to close Rikers Island. The first step toward that goal must be for the federal government to step in and take receivership of Rikers.”

Council Member Crystal Hudson criticized the current administration’s handling of the crisis, noting, “The Department of Correction has taken no meaningful steps to demonstrate it is fit and willing to manage the jail in a way that meets bare minimum standards of human rights laws.”

The rally was a direct response to escalating violence, corruption, and mismanagement at Rikers Island. Since Mayor Eric Adams took office, at least 31 individuals have died in city jails. A federal monitor’s report from June 27 highlighted the dangerous and unsafe conditions, prompting widespread calls for federal intervention.

Melanie Dominguez, Organizing Director at the Katal Center, remarked, “Under Mayor Eric Adams, the conditions at Rikers have worsened, violence is out of control, and at least 31 incarcerated people have died in New York City jails.”

The rally concluded with a strong call to action, urging the federal courts to appoint an independent receiver to take control of Rikers Island and for the immediate closure of the facility to prevent further loss of life.

Update: Federal Judge Holds NYC in Contempt Over Rikers Conditions

By Howard Weiss

November 27, 2024

In a significant development, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain found New York City and its Department of Correction in civil contempt for failing to address the unconstitutional conditions at Rikers Island. The judge’s 65-page decision cited the city’s non-compliance with 18 court orders over nearly a decade, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by inmates.

Judge Swain stated, “Nine years have passed since the parties first agreed that the perilous conditions in the Rikers Island jails were unconstitutional; that the level of unconstitutional danger has not improved for the people who live and work in the jails is both alarming and unacceptable.”

The judge indicated that a federal receivership is likely the next step, noting that the current management structure is insufficient to implement necessary reforms. This ruling aligns with the demands made during the July rally, underscoring the urgent need for federal intervention to ensure the safety and rights of those incarcerated at Rikers Island.

For more detailed information, refer to the case: Nunez v. the City of New York et al., case number 1:11-cv-05845, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.