Rikers Correctional Facility
“I’ve never seen another human being look at someone like that, he had this look in his eyes, like you’re not getting out of here if you have a pulse,’” CO Kristen Lonnborg said
The federal monitor said the need for fire suppression is “particularly acute for a unit attempting to re-house known fire-setters and thereby reduce arsons”
“Practices for reporting stabbings/slashings are so unregulated that the monitor no longer has confidence in the accuracy of the department’s data in this area,” the monitoring team said
Mayor Adams said the ultimatum is about safety, though this decision will likely impact the Correction Department particularly hard
Prosecutors say another inmate broke a door lock to come to the nurse’s aid
The surveillance video reveals a department struggling to maintain control
Nearly 2,200 staff members were out sick late last week
Judge April Newbauer wrote that officials “utterly failed” to prevent the crisis at Rikers Island despite clear warning signs
“I am not going to be in a city where dangerous people assault innocent people, go to jail and assault more people,” Eric Adams said
Louis Molina faces a steep task when he takes over the job in January
Veteran CO Keisha Williams pressed for the measure with help from other female union board members
The watchdog report came on the same day another report revealed the city spends more than $550K per inmate each year
About 1,900 employees had yet to comply with the mandate by Monday night; the deadline was 5 p.m. Tuesday
“No incarcerated person, no corrections officer, and no family member should have to endure the reality of Rikers as it exists today,” Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote
The city filed a lawsuit against COBA earlier this week accusing it of encouraging absenteeism
One ambush gave four Rikers Island correction officers broken bones, cracked ribs and bruised eyes
COBA President Elias Husamudeen discusses how COVID-19 has impacted staff and inmates at Rikers Island
In the last week, 17 correctional employees and 21 people in custody at Rikers and city jails had tested positive for the coronavirus
Officials say the closures will occur by early 2020, will not cause layoffs
The jail will be replaced with four modern, smaller jails closer to the city’s main courthouses
City council members will vote on a plan to close the complex, replace it with four smaller jails
The new facilities would offer COs better views of detainees, among other improvements
The violence comes in the wake of a heated citywide debate on punitive segregation
Rikers is expected to close in 2026 after the city constructs borough-based jails and moves inmates off the island
The City Planning Commission has begun the approvals process for a proposal to replace Rikers with smaller borough-based facilities
What’s next for the famous prison when it closes in 2027?
The inmates refused to go into their cells after the slashing of a high-profile inmate last week
“This case illustrates the ongoing fight to dismantle the brutal criminal network, which has its hub in Rikers Island, and shows how dangerous this battle can be for our law enforcement officers,” said Bronx DA Darcel Clark
The city plans to return to its earlier plan to expand its existing lower Manhattan jail, the Manhattan Detention Complex
CO John Peloso needed at least five staples to close the wound he received while responding to an inmate disruption
Inmate Rickeem Parker triggered the altercation after he “became aggressive” and threw a desk to the floor
The city hopes to shut down Rikers Island in phases over the next 10 years, but still faces costly renovations
The 33-year-old woman alleged in her suit filed in Manhattan Federal Court that the abuse began in September 2015
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