City Correction Department officials are grappling with a significant overcrowding crisis at Rikers Island, as demonstrated by their request to expand bed capacity in certain dormitory areas from 50 to 60 beds.
This request, referred to as a variance request, had previously received approval in February but has become imperative due to the jail population rising to 7,645, as reported by Correction Department Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie on June 28 to the Board of Correction, responsible for setting regulations for city jails.
The increase in population has been partially attributed to a slowdown caused by a state prison strike involving correction officers earlier this year.
“We are facing a crisis,” said DOC’s Senior Deputy Commissioner Fritz Fragé during a board meeting on Tuesday.
Fragé emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “If we don’t get the variance, we will have 130 people without beds.”
Despite the urgency expressed, the Board of Correction voted 4-1 to approve the request, with one member abstaining.
However, the resolution requires support from five board members to pass, leaving the Department of Correction in a precarious situation without the variance.
City officials have not immediately provided details on alternative measures the Correction Department may pursue in the absence of this request.
In the past, Mayor Eric Adams has exercised his authority to issue emergency executive orders to override board decisions when necessary.
Commissioner Maginley-Liddie was notably absent from the hearing, and shortly after the vote, DOC spokesperson Patrick Gallahue criticized the board’s decision: “It is unfortunate that the Board fails to grasp the severity of the crisis faced by our jails.”
Galluhau continued, “This Department has a duty to make decisions in the best interest of the safety of everyone living and working in our facilities and we will do so accordingly.”
The request for expanded housing comes at a critical time when the board is under pressure from a federal court decision.
Just two months prior, Manhattan’s Chief District Judge Laura Taylor Swain indicated she would appoint an independent “remediation manager” to implement stalled reforms at Rikers.
Both city officials and the Legal Aid Society have been instructed to propose potential candidates for this role by August.
At the board meeting, Dr. Robert Cohen, a long-time board member and critic of the Correction Department, voiced his intention to resign after 16 years.
Cohen has consistently opposed any expansion in bed capacity, highlighting a lack of long-term planning from the Department of Correction and state authorities to effectively address the growing jail population.
“Fundamentally, jails are bad places,” he remarked.
“We should not make them bigger and bigger and bigger.”
With Cohen voting against the proposal and Dr. Lauren Stossel abstaining, the request to increase capacity was effectively blocked.
Officials of the jail continue to face restrictions in determining who enters the system.
They have pointed to the state prison system’s failure to accept transfers as a primary reason for the continued rise in detainee numbers.
Currently, there are 1,008 “state-ready” detainees at Rikers who have already been convicted and sentenced to over a year in prison, awaiting transfer to state facilities.
Maginley-Liddie noted that this number represents a staggering 451% increase from the figures recorded in February.
The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has begun to gradually accept around 30 state-ready detainees each week.
However, this measure has had negligible impact as a similar number of new detainees enter the system weekly.
Moreover, 177 individuals in custody still await placement in New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) beds, many of whom have been deemed unfit to stand trial following failed psychiatric evaluations.
The challenges of overcrowding are further compounded by recent extreme weather conditions, with a new heat wave exacerbating the situation for detainees housed in areas lacking proper air conditioning.
Last month’s heat wave forced the department to cancel some programming and left several detainees ill, according to various advocacy groups.
“The facilities are old and dilapidated and don’t have the infrastructure capacity to both keep incarcerated people and officers safe — and manage in times of extreme heat,” stated Stanley Richards, CEO of Fortune Society, recounting his experiences during his tenure as DOC deputy commissioner.
He vividly described the inefficient use of massive industrial fans that circulated sweltering air, offering little relief to detainees and officers alike.
“This was a disaster,” he added.
“Frustration and anger bred among a population with nowhere to turn.”
At the hearing, the deaths of two detainees, Benjamin Kelly and James Maldonado, were also brought to attention, both of whom died less than 90 minutes apart on June 21.
These fatalities brought the total number of deaths at Rikers in 2023 to seven.
Cohen took the opportunity during the meeting to announce his resignation and urged Judge Swain to swiftly appoint a remediation manager for Rikers.
“Time is clearly of the essence,” he declared.
“Forty deaths in the Adams administration is 40 deaths too many.”
He called for the city and state authorities to consider releasing prisoners, stressing the urgent need for reform.
Cohen’s original appointment to the board was influenced by a coalition of advocates who successfully persuaded former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
In addition to the current challenges, he highlighted historical issues, including a recent blockade from the former Commissioner Louis Molina preventing board access to video surveillance, leading to a lawsuit for transparency.
He also noted the current administration’s resistance to new rules aimed at limiting solitary confinement usage.
“Finally, Rikers Island is a hellhole,” said Cohen, emphasizing the dire conditions he has witnessed over four decades.
“It’s a firetrap, its locks don’t lock, and it’s dangerous to all those who work and live there.”
image source from：thecity
