Politics
The Rikers Mess: Will Federal Oversight Fix It?
A judge has found the city in contempt of court and has cleared the way for an outside official, instead of City Hall, to manage the city’s jail system.
Good morning. It’s Monday. Today we’ll take a closer look at a landmark decision that found the city in contempt over the management of its troubled jails.
Credit…José A. Alvarado Jr. for The New York Times
Last week a federal judge cleared the way to take control of the city’s jails and appoint an outside official known as a receiver to run them. At the same time, the judge, Laura Taylor Swain, found the city in contempt for failing to stem the violence and excessive force used at the Rikers Island complex.
Her decision was the latest milestone in the long legal fight over Rikers, which has been troubled by dysfunction and violence for decades. Judge Swain’s 65-page ruling came nearly a decade after the city agreed to the settlement of a class-action lawsuit that brought federal oversight to the city’s jail system. The violence has continued: In the last two years, at least 33 people have died in the city’s jail system or shortly after they were released.
I asked Hurubie Meko, who covers the criminal justice system in the city, to discuss what Judge Swain’s ruling might mean.
Would a receiver make a difference? What could a receiver do that the city has not been able to do?
Judge Swain would decide how much control the receiver would have. Receivers can be given all-encompassing power to hire and assign staffs and negotiate contracts.
