Overview

• Chief U.S. Judge Laura Taylor Swain has ruled to place Rikers Island under federal receivership, removing New York City’s control over the jail.
• An independent court-appointed remediation manager will oversee reforms, with full authority to address policy, staffing, and procedural issues contributing to rights violations.
• The decision follows the city’s failure to comply with a 2015 consent judgment and contempt findings for ongoing violence, self-harm, and inmate deaths in custody.
• Five inmate deaths in 2025 highlight the urgency of reform, with the manager tasked to achieve compliance within three years.
• Advocates have praised the ruling as a critical step to protecting incarcerated individuals’ safety and constitutional rights.