Borough-based jail costs double to $16 billion, mayor claims
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The cost of replacing the crumbling jail complex on Rikers Island by building borough-based jails across the city has continued to balloon over the past year.
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Council calls on mayor to reverse Queens jail expansion
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A group of over a dozen city councilmembers this week called on the Adams administration to reverse its decision to up the number of beds in Queens’ yet-to-be-built borough-based jail facility.
Read MoreMayor restores programming on Rikers months after cutting funding
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The Adams administration late Monday announced that it planned to mostly restore nonprofit-provided programming for detainees on Rikers Island after the city attempted – and largely failed – to provide the programming itself following a budget cut ordered by the mayor last year.
Read MoreNonprofits given ax by DOC last year return to work on Rikers for free
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A little more than half a year after the Department of Correction cut a contract with several nonprofit service providers, two of those organizations have been asked to again provide programming to detainees on Rikers Island – and to do it for free.
Read More‘Unnecessary, inappropriate and dangerous’: Use of pepper spray skyrocketed on Rikers Island, new report finds
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In a single month last year, Department of Correction officers used pepper spray on eight different detainees attempting to hang themselves, highlighting a concerning pattern in violation of department policy, according to a new report from the department’s citizen watchdog board.
Read MoreDetainee programming on Rikers declined after DOC cut ties with nonprofit providers
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The city’s Department of Correction has significantly struggled to provide re-entry services, educational programs, life skills training and other programs to detainees after cutting ties last year with around a half dozen nonprofit service providers as a cost savings measure.
Read MoreAdams administration continues to miss Rikers closure deadlines
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The Adams administration has yet to complete a single transfer of land on Rikers Island, a crucial part of the city’s plan to turn the jail complex into a renewable energy hub by 2027.
Read MoreQueens officials defend food vendors in Corona Plaza
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A Queens locale known for its vibrancy and culture was the site of a late night city crackdown on illegal vendors last week, done with little notice to the vendors or local elected officials, who held a rally on Wednesday protesting what they said was heavy-handed enforcement from the city.
Read MoreNew councilmembers reflect on surprise visit to Rikers
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“It's not supposed to be solitary, but was essentially being run as such.”
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