A federal judge has taken a significant step towards potentially removing Mayor Eric Adams from control of New York City's troubled jail system.
The judge's decision comes after a series of reports from a court-appointed federal monitor revealed a "disturbing level of regression" within the jail system, with violence rates surpassing those from eight years ago when the monitor was first appointed.
During a hearing in federal court in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain expressed deep concerns about the city's ability to manage Rikers Island. She stated that the recent reports of violence and dysfunction within the jail complex raised "profound questions" and suggested that the incarcerated population is "at great risk of immediate harm."
As a result, she ordered federal prosecutors and attorneys representing detainees to begin preparing arguments in support of a court-ordered receivership, which could lead to the appointment of an outside authority to govern Rikers Island as early as next year.
The court-appointed federal monitor, Steve Martin, further intensified concerns during the hearing by accusing the Adams administration of making superficial policy changes that amounted to "facile window dressing." He also criticized the administration for withholding crucial information about the abysmal conditions inside the jail from the public.
According to Martin, on the same day that conservative-leaning city officials toured Rikers Island and praised Mayor Adams' oversight, there were over two dozen use-of-force incidents, seven fires, and two allegations of staff assaults.
Mayor Adams, a former New York City police captain, has vehemently opposed the idea of outside intervention. He has highlighted the decrease in certain types of violence since the height of the pandemic, when Rikers Island faced chaos due to widespread staff sick-outs. Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina echoed Adams' sentiments, stating that no court-appointed receiver could bring about greater reform at a faster pace than what they have accomplished.
However, the Adams administration finds itself increasingly isolated in its viewpoint. Last month, U.S. Attorney Damien Williams announced that his office would seek to strip control of Rikers Island from the city, joining a growing chorus of voices that includes the jail's independent oversight board, detainee advocates, and numerous local elected officials.
The process of a federal takeover is expected to take several months, with each party scheduled to present their arguments between November of this year and February of 2024.
Outside the federal courthouse, advocates and individuals who were formerly incarcerated on Rikers Island called for an immediate federal takeover of the system. Henry Robinson, who spent time on Rikers Island in 2017, expressed his belief that public officials have long ignored the crisis in the city's jails. The possibility of a takeover has given him a rare glimmer of hope, as he stated, "It's time for some new management."
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