So as part of a plan to improve inmate life and make NYC’s criminal justice system fairer, Mayor de Blasio has proposed closing Rikers Island and moving inmates to facilities in four of the city’s boroughs.
The boroughs involved would be Queens, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. The idea is that the new facilities would be newer and better for both inmates and corrections officers. It would also make it easier for families to visit since inmates would be housed closer to their communities, and some believe this could help reduce crime and recidivism.
There are questions worth raising about these claims. Some observers have noted that this plan could benefit real estate interests in the city and potentially open up Rikers Island for waterfront development.
It is reasonable to wonder whether all stakeholders’ interests are being fully considered in this process. There are also concerns from community members about having larger jail facilities placed in residential neighborhoods. Many areas already see significant foot traffic near existing courthouse holding facilities, and an increase in that activity raises understandable questions.
While many of the people held in these facilities are awaiting trial and are presumed innocent, there have been documented incidents at Rikers involving assaults on corrections officers and gang related activity. These realities factor into how community members think about the placement of larger facilities near their neighborhoods.
The overall benefit to local communities remains unclear to many residents, while the financial upside for real estate developers appears more straightforward. Questions have also been raised about which neighborhoods are being selected for these new facilities and whether that selection process is equitable across the city.
For a detailed, journalistic breakdown of the plan, Laura Cook from AMNY explains it all here.
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