City requires a jailbreak to avoid expensive proposal to shut down Rikers

In 2019, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law his “smaller, safer, fairer jail system” with a pledge to invest $8.7 billion in building four borough jails to house no more than 4,000 inmates total and to close Rikers Island by 2026.

However, none of these numbers – $8.7 billion, 4,000 inmates, or the year 2026 – turned out to be accurate.

Mayor Adams should reconsider this program before it drains the city’s limited resources, diverting funds needed for infrastructure like bridges, schools, and parks.

The concept of “borough-based jails” inherited by Adams in 2022 never seemed logical.

The issues present at Rikers, such as deteriorating buildings and isolation of inmates from visitors and lawyers, could be resolved on-site.

The city could construct new buildings there and provide accessible transportation for visitors.

The proposed borough jails – one each in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx – will not achieve what advocates promised.

These jails will not change the culture of Rikers Island as the same management and union system will be transferred from Rikers to the new jails.

They will not integrate inmates into their communities as they will still be in jail, not in their borough communities.

Originally set to cost $8.7 billion, the jail construction program’s costs have almost doubled to at least $15.6 billion, as warned by First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.

The first new jail in Brooklyn, estimated to cost $3 billion, will not be completed before 2029.

New York will struggle to reduce its jail capacity below 4,000 unless it releases suspects currently at Rikers for severe crimes.

The city is investing close to $16 billion in building jails that will be overcrowded and ineffective upon opening.

This allocation is significant, exceeding the MTA’s expected revenue from congestion pricing over 30 years.

It also accounts for a substantial portion of the city’s total spending on infrastructure in the next five years.

Mayor Adams should consider scaling down the program and exploring other options, such as building new jails on Rikers Island, which may be more cost-effective and offer better amenities.

Taking a different approach can avoid leaving a mess for future administrations and provide valuable information for decision-making.

Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal.