A federal judge on Wednesday found New York City in contempt for failing to address violence and deteriorating conditions at its jails, bringing the notorious Rikers Island complex closer to federal receivership.
U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain ruled that the city had placed detainees in “unconstitutional danger” by neglecting 18 court-ordered reforms addressing security, staffing, use of force, and the safety of young inmates. The long-standing issues, which have worsened since a 2015 settlement over abuse and violence, were compounded by the jail’s leadership’s “unwillingness or inability” to implement changes, Swain wrote.
The ruling mandates that the city and legal advocates for detainees collaborate with a court-appointed monitor to propose a framework for federal oversight by January 14. Such a move would strip the city of direct control over aspects of jail management, streamlining decision-making under a court-appointed receiver.
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Mayor Eric Adams, who opposes federal intervention, defended the city’s efforts, saying, “We’ve made significant progress addressing the decades-long issues on Rikers Island. While there is more to be done, we look forward to working with the federal monitoring team to continue improving safety for everyone in our jails.”
However, Swain dismissed the city’s progress as inadequate, criticizing officials for acting in “bad faith” and withholding critical information from the federal monitor. She stated that conditions on Rikers Island, marked by escalating violence and neglect, have become “normalized despite being clearly abnormal and unacceptable.”
The ruling follows years of litigation initiated by the Legal Aid Society and other advocates, who alleged systemic violence and excessive force within the city’s Department of Correction. The plaintiffs celebrated Swain’s decision as a “historic milestone” that could pave the way for meaningful reform.
“This ruling acknowledges that the current system has failed and that receivership, free from political and external pressures, is the necessary step forward,” the Legal Aid Society said in a statement.
Not everyone welcomed the decision. Benny Boscio, president of the correction officers’ union, dismissed the ruling as based on a “false narrative,” blaming city lawmakers and the federal monitor for staffing shortages and other challenges.
Rikers Island, long plagued by chaos and neglect, has seen a troubling rise in violence, deaths in custody, and incidents of self-harm. Nineteen people died in custody there in 2022, followed by nine in 2023 and five in the first eight months of 2024. Rates of stabbings, slashings, fights, and assaults on staff remain alarmingly high, Swain noted.
While the city remains obligated to close Rikers Island and replace it with four smaller, modern jails by 2027, that plan faces uncertainty. Rising jail populations and Mayor Adams’ calls for a “Plan B” have cast doubt on the timeline, with officials acknowledging that the mandated closure deadline may not be met.
For now, federal oversight looms as the city grapples with the deepening crisis at one of the nation’s largest jail systems.
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