New York City's initiative to replace the Rikers Island jail complex with borough-based facilities is facing criticism for various administrative and planning failures. The Adams administration has been accused of allowing the jail population to exceed the targets set for these new jails, cutting essential programs that prevent re-incarceration, and failing to transport detainees to court promptly. Furthermore, the new jails in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx are reported to be expanding in capacity due to the city's high incarceration rates, with reductions in space for detainees with mental health issues and a tripling of beds for women. The Manhattan site is set to become the world's tallest jail, costing billions amid the city's financial struggles, yet it will still be inadequate to house the current number of detainees from Rikers Island, a 413-acre facility. The total capacity of the four new jails is projected at 4,160, insufficient to accommodate the approximately 6,000 detainees currently at Rikers, raising concerns about potential overcrowding and increased crime rates.
New York City's plan to shutter the Rikers Island complex could leave the city's jail facilities overcrowded and its streets teeming with criminals. https://t.co/AWNBc4UTaL via @CharlesFLehman
The total capacity of the four new jails will be set at 4,160, but that’s still not enough space to move out all the roughly 6,000 current detainees at Rikers Island. Read more: https://t.co/85mzGx4Phw https://t.co/ImEQT1gQRW
This site in Manhattan will be home to the world’s tallest jail at a cost of billions at a time the city’s finances are in a precarious state. Its capacity at opening will be inadequate to accommodate the current number of Manhattan detainees on Rikers Island, a 413-acre island. https://t.co/znA1Mc4JOJ
Allowing the jail population to grow beyond the borough-based jails target was a choice made by the Adams administration. Cutting programs that get and keep people out of Rikers, not getting detainees to court on time, and many more avoidable blunders is the reason we are here. https://t.co/aP8ARJY7j3
scoop: The new jails in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan & the Bronx that are replacing Rikers are GROWING in capacity. NYC has too many people to incarcerate, so they're cutting space for detainees with mental illness while tripling the # of beds for women. https://t.co/mf7MP1Esyf