Rikers Island inmate dies shortly after judge grants emergency release
64-year-old Victor Mercado reportedly became the 13th person to die in the city’s jail system in 2021.
NY Assembly holds hearing on crisis at Rikers Island
“What I saw and witnessed was nothing less than a humanitarian crisis,” said New York State Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas.
NYC Jails Crisis: 11th inmate dies, 2nd in one week
An inmate on a floating jail barge across the East River from Rikers Island died Wednesday after an apparent medical emergency. Eleven city inmates have died so far this year.
With 'dysfunction, neglect, violence' at Rikers, more officers, private security headed to jail
"Plagued by dysfunction, neglect, and violence," 100 corrections officers will be reassigned to Rikers jail and private security is also being brought in.
191 inmates at Rikers Island jail to be released immediately, Gov. Hochul announces
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is ordering the release of 191 prisoners from Rikers Island.
'Humanitarian crisis' at Rikers Island leads to emergency relief plan for jail
Following an inspection of Rikers Island by local and state leaders, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday he would use emergency orders to make “intense changes” at the jail.
NYPD commissioner won't support early release of Rikers inmates
New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Tuesday he won't support the early release of inmates from Rikers Island due to staffing shortage.
De Blasio: Construction beginning on Borough-Based Jails Program
The program is an $8.3B effort by the city to construct four new, smaller, more humane jails in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens to replace Rikers Island.
Woman accused in cop hit-and-run railed about police in podcast
Jessica Beauvais, 32 of Hempstead, hosted a podcast that was posted on Facebook hours before the crash where she directed expletives at police officers and sipped drinks.
In protocol breach, calls between Rikers Island inmates, lawyers recorded
Hundreds of confidential conversations between inmates and their attorneys were recorded. The Correction Department blamed a vendor.
Rikers Island accidentally releases second prisoner in two weeks
For the second time in two weeks, a suspect accused of violent crimes was accidentally released from Rikers Island.
Hunt for murder suspect mistakenly released from Rikers Island
The Department of Correction is scrambling to find a murder suspect mistakenly released from Rikers Island Jail.
NYC to close aging jail facilities: Rikers unit, 'The Tombs'
New York City officials say they will close two aging jail facilities this fall.
Hart Island burials soar during coronavirus pandemic
Hundreds of people have been interred at the potter's field on Hart Island since March, according to the city agency that oversees burials there.
New York City considering temporary burials of coronavirus victims
New York City is considering temporarily burying coronavirus victims to relieve some of the pressure on the system due to large numbers of deaths.
Virus hitting juvenile detention centers
For the tens of thousands of kids locked up in juvenile detention centers and other correctional facilities across America, experts have issued a gloomy warning: The coronavirus is coming.
New York City has fewest prisoners since 1940s
New York City's jail population is the lowest it has been since the 1940s.
Locked up: No masks, sanitizer as virus spreads behind bars
Something was wrong. The chow hall line at New York’s Rikers Island jail had halted. For three hours, the men stood and waited, without food, until a correctional officer quietly delivered the news: A civilian chef was among those who tested positive for the coronavirus.
38 positive for coronavirus in New York City jails, including Rikers
New York City was hit by the nation’s largest coronavirus jail outbreak to date this week, with at least 38 people testing positive at the notorious Rikers Island complex and nearby facilities — more than half of them incarcerated men, the board that oversees the city's jail system said.
Rikers officer infected with coronavirus
A correction officer at Rikers Island has reportedly been diagnosed with coronavirus.