Pouring taxpayer dollars into Rikers is not “responsible government”

When New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio presented his $82.1 billion preliminary budget on Jan. 21, he described it as a reaffirmation of his “commitment to responsible government.” But in at least one respect, this budget severely undermines that commitment.

The mayor proposes spending an additional $100 million on Rikers Island, New York City’s own Guantanamo, described as an “urban shame” by city Comptroller Scott Stringer. Instead of pouring more scarce public resources into a historically failed institution, we should focus on closing it and replacing it with a less expensive, modern and rehabilitative decentralized jail system worthy of a city that takes pride in its progressive reputation.

I experienced the violence on Rikers Island firsthand. As a teenager, I was detained at Rikers for a shoplifting accusation. On one of my first days, I was attacked by a group of residents while the corrections officers looked on and laughed. I emerged with four stab wounds inflicted by writing pens melted and fashioned into shanks. I survived and earned respect, but I also learned that the guards didn’t care if I lived or died.

This is the “culture of violence” that, over two decades later, still pervades Rikers. In 2014, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara completed his investigation into the treatment of adolescents detained at Rikers and concluded that, “a deep-seated culture of violence is pervasive throughout the adolescent facilities.” Since then, the conditions in the jail have only worsened. A recent report commissioned by Stringer found a 19 percent increase in the rate of assaults at the prison. Just in the past few months, Rikers Island guards have been indicted for brutality, for smuggling contraband – including weapons – into the jail and for conspiring with detainees to attack other residents. Corrections officers have also been the victims of dangerous assaults. And awards in civil suits brought by victims and their families are costing the city a fortune.

In the face of this litany of urgent concerns, de Blasio’s $100 million reform proposal is troubling. Hiring 542 more corrections officers brings the total number of officers to 10,220 to guard fewer than 9,900 residents – an unheard of guard-to-inmate ratio. Extra guards may be a victory for union boss Norman Seabrook, but it hasn’t fixed Rikers before and won’t fix it now. And giving another $7 million to McKinsey and Company – a top consulting firm with hardly any experience in jail reform – is baffling, considering that violence on Rikers increased last year after McKinsey got a $1 million contract to reduce it. When it comes to Rikers, failure appears to pay handsomely.

The idea that Rikers Island can be “reformed” is an illusion. New approaches are needed. The organization I founded, JustLeadershipUSA, and a growing number of city advocates, activists and public officials are demanding that the mayor close Rikers, including Stringer and former city corrections commissioner Martin Horn.

Closing Rikers Island and creating a network of small, modern and safe community-based jails distributed throughout the five boroughs is not a new or radical idea. It was seriously considered by the Koch administration in the 1980s, and again by the Bloomberg administration. In both cases, political challenges arose that prevented closure of the jail complex. But we are in a different era today. There is growing bipartisan agreement that mass incarceration must end. Congress is debating reform, while President Barack Obama is taking executive action. Just last month, President Obama banned the use of solitary confinement for juveniles and adults incarcerated for low-level offenses in the federal prison system. He received widespread editorial support from mainstream media outlets throughout the country.

De Blasio clearly understands the need for and value of bold action on criminal justice reform. His outspoken opposition to the NYPD’s use of stop-and-frisk and his appeal to end “a tale of two cities” have been widely credited for his landslide victory in 2013. So de Blasio, of all people, should know that moderate reforms and lip service aren’t going fix Rikers; New Yorkers need – and deserve – bold action. By closing Rikers, the mayor can move ever closer to fulfilling his promise to make fairness, equality and dignity for every New Yorker a reality. 

Glenn Martin is the founder and president of JustLeadershipUSA.