Rikers Correctional Facility
Rikers Correctional Facility, one of the largest and most well-known jails in the United States, significantly impacts the correctional landscape. This directory offers articles and resources on the facility’s history, challenges, reforms, and broader implications for the correctional system. Understanding the complexities of Rikers is crucial for those studying or working in corrections. For related topics, explore our section on Correctional Facilities.
All NYCDOC body-worn cameras were pulled after a CO’s caught fire at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island
Robert Boom, a 13-year NYDOC correction officer, collapsed on duty. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
The new jails are being built using the design-build format that is supposed to speed up construction, according to the city’s Department of Design and Construction
The settlements stem from lawsuits alleging jail staff ignored obvious signs of medical distress before two detainees died from overdoses
Stanley Richards’s plans include filling more than 1,300 vacancies, expanding treatment options and moving eligible individuals out of jail settings
A captain and 10 corrections officers claimed nearly $229K in regular and overtime hours they didn’t work by arriving late, leaving early or engaging in “no-show” shifts at Rikers Island, investigators say
NYC Mayor Mamdani says the unit at Bellevue Hospital will replace the aging North Infirmary Command infirmary and improve care
Commissioner Stanley Richards calls for hiring support and responsible population reduction to maintain safety inside facilities
In a jailhouse interview, the disgraced film producer claims safety threats and isolation define daily life as he awaits retrial in New York
Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Stanley Richards to lead the Department of Correction, marking the first time a formerly incarcerated person will oversee the city’s jail system
A rookie officer assigned to Rikers Island was pulled over in Queens and found with a rifle, shotgun, ammo and a machete
The former Vermont DOC commissioner will oversee efforts to reform the troubled jail complex and improve conditions for staff and inmates
Mayor Zorhan Mamdani gave corrections officials 45 days to plan compliance with the City Council’s 2023 solitary confinement ban
The pilot program requires eight hours plus four hours of forced overtime — a move the union calls heartless and unlawful
The population at Rikers has surged 32% since 2022 while officer staffing has dropped 25%, forcing longer shifts
The CO planted a sharpened 4.5-inch piece of plexiglass in an inmate’s cell, then filed four false reports, the DA said
New York City’s mayor-elect says jailing people for homelessness and mental illness is unsustainable — and closing Rikers is key to building a safer city
The three uniformed staffers were suspended after a 29-year-old inmate was found unconscious and unresponsive in a cell at the George R. Vierno Center
One officer required 17 stitches to his scalp and another seven to his face after the inmate attacked them with a ceramic scalpel
The basis for the lock-ins was recorded in official logbooks in only three of the seven instances, the report found
A remediation manager will have sweeping powers over staff discipline, hiring and use-of-force oversight at Rikers
As the jail population outpaces capacity, officials explore psychiatric facilities for sites originally meant to replace Rikers Island
Under a new executive order, federal agencies can conduct criminal probes and intelligence sharing on gang activity and crimes committed within the jail
The NYCDOC last went to 12-hour tours during the 2021 and 2022 staffing crisis when hundreds of COs became sick during the pandemic; the policy was lifted in 2022
ICE
Mayor Eric Adams said that allowing ICE onto Rikers Island will help the correctional intelligence bureau in criminal investigations focused on gangs and violent criminals
Corrections Officer Shamika Mitchell was struck from behind by an inmate in an unprovoked attack, leaving her hospitalized with a fractured orbital bone
NYC DOC leaders say the Special Management Unit is needed to control violence and ensure safety at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center
The inmate sucker-punched the CO in the head from behind, causing serious injuries
Security footage showed officers walking past the unresponsive detainee before eventually cutting him down; prosecutors said their inaction broke the law
MOST POPULAR
- NY prison body scanners sit unused due to state law
- Federal monitor ‘extremely concerned’ about escalating violence at Rikers Island
- Rikers Island CO assaulted by inmate
- Rikers CO wins $125K settlement after claims of harassment, attacks by inmates
- Feds: Correctional officer’s beating caused 2012 Rikers Island inmate death