Rikers Island

Rikers Island is a 413-acre (167.14-hectare) prison island in the East River in the Bronx, New York, United States, that contains New York City's largest jail.

Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under 100 acres (40 ha) in size, but has since grown to more than 400 acres (160 ha). The first stages of expansion were accomplished largely by convict labor hauling in ashes for landfill. The island is politically part of the Bronx, with a bridge being the only access available from Queens. It is part of Queens Community Board 1 and uses an East Elmhurst, Queens, ZIP Code of 11370 for mail.

The island is the site of one of the world's largest correctional institutions and mental institutions, and has been described as New York's best-known jail. The complex, operated by the New York City Department of Correction, in 2015 had a budget of $860 million a year, a staff of 9,000 civilian officers and 1,500 other civilians managing 100,000 admissions per year and an average daily population of 10,000 inmates. The majority (85%) of detainees are pretrial defendants, either held on bail or remanded in custody. The rest of the population have been convicted and are serving short sentences. In a 2021 analysis by the New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, it costs the city about $556,539 to detain one person for one year at Rikers Island.

Rikers Island has had a reputation for violence, physical and mental abuse, and neglect of its inmates, and has attracted press and judicial scrutiny that has resulted in numerous rulings against the New York City government. Numerous assaults have occurred by inmates on uniformed officers and other civilian staff, often resulting in serious injuries. In May 2013, Rikers Island ranked as one of the 10 worst correctional facilities in the entire United States, based on reporting in Mother Jones magazine. A documented increase in violence on Rikers Island was reported by the 2010s. In 2015, 9,424 assaults happened, the highest number in five years. In October 2019, the New York City Council voted to close down the facility by December 31, 2026.

The Rikers Island complex, which consists of ten jails, holds local alleged offenders who are awaiting trial. People who are serving sentences of one year or less or are also temporarily detained there, pending transfer to another facility. Rikers Island is therefore not a prison by US terminology, which typically holds offenders serving longer-term sentences. It holds 10 of the New York City Department of Correction's 15 facilities, and can accommodate up to 15,000 detainees.

Facilities located on the island include:

The average daily individuals in custody or detainees population on the island is about 10,000, although it can hold a maximum of 15,000. The daytime population, including detainees, staff, and visitors, can be as high as 20,000.

The only road access to the island is from Queens, over the 4,200-foot (1,300 m), three-lane Francis Buono Bridge, dedicated in November 1966, by Mayor John Lindsay. The street address is 15 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. Before the bridge was constructed, the only access to the island was by ferry. Transportation is also provided by the Q100 MTA Regional Bus Operations route. Privately operated shuttles connect the parking lot at the south end to the island. A bus service within the island for people visiting inmates is provided by the New York City Department of Correction on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.