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Federal Judge Appoints Independent Manager to Oversee Rikers Island

Rikers Island placed under federal receivership after years of violence, systemic dysfunction, and failure to comply with court-mandated reforms.

FILE - The Rikers Island jail complex is shown in the Bronx borough of New York, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
Rikers Island in New York City is seen from an aerial view on January 5, 2018.
Jail cells are seen in the Enhanced Supervision Housing Unit at the Rikers Island Correctional facility in New York March 12, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
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Overview

  • Judge Laura Taylor Swain issued a 77-page ruling appointing a 'remediation manager' with broad authority to reform Rikers Island's jail operations.
  • The manager will report directly to the court and have powers over staffing, disciplinary actions, and contract negotiations to address constitutional violations.
  • This intervention follows a 2015 consent decree and a 2024 contempt ruling against New York City for failing to reduce violence and unsafe conditions at Rikers.
  • Parties involved in the case must submit four candidates for the position by August 29, with a three-year timeline set for achieving compliance.
  • Advocates, including the Legal Aid Society, hailed the decision as a critical step toward ending decades of brutality, while Mayor Eric Adams cited legal restrictions as barriers to reform.