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The inhumane and violent conditions in New York City jails have long been a moral stain on the city. In spite of reform and oversight efforts by court monitors and different mayoral administrations over many years, violence has not abated, even as the jail population shrunk and resources per incarcerated person – as measured in dollars and personnel – rose.
On the heels of pandemic-related interruptions to court proceedings and jail programming in 2020, conditions sharply deteriorated, reaching a crisis point in 2021 as excessive staff absenteeism constrained the Department of Correction’s ability to maintain order and safety. Following a sharp rise in violence, spikes in staff overtime, and challenges with providing services to detainees, including medical care, former Mayor de Blasio declared a State of Emergency in September 2021.
More recently, amid calls for the department to be placed under federal receivership, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered the City to present a plan for reform. To address the court’s concerns, the City and the Department of Correction (DOC) developed an Action Plan in consultation with the federal monitor that pledged, among other actions, to revise policies to address staff absenteeism, including an evaluation within 120 days of all uniformed staff on long-term sick leave and restricted duty. On June 14, 2022, the court endorsed the plan and agreed to allow time for DOC to demonstrate improvement.
Due to falling crime rates and shifts in policy, the City’s average daily jail population has decreased dramatically over the last 15 years, dropping from close to 14,000 in Fiscal Year 2007 to around 5,700 today. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City took some steps to reduce the jail population further, in recognition of the serious health risks to those living in congregate settings. As a result, the population briefly dropped below 4,000 but steadily rose thereafter before leveling off in late 2021. Under a plan to close facilities on Rikers Island, the City has begun construction on four borough-based jails that will have capacity for 3,300 people as of 2027, far lower than the number of people in city jails today.
To inform city officials, stakeholders, and the public, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has created a dashboard to track the City’s progress in addressing the jail population, uniformed staff availability, levels of violence, and access to basic services. The Dashboard will be periodically updated as new data are made available.