On April 16, 2025, the New York City Council released a comprehensive policy brief outlining legislative, budgetary, and administrative reforms aimed at permanently closing Rikers Island and transitioning to borough-based jails. The move comes in response to decades of documented inhumane conditions and systemic failures within the complex, reflecting growing political pressure to dismantle what many view as an oppressive carceral institution.

During Harvey Weinstein's retrial, his legal team criticized the conditions at Rikers Island, describing them as 'medieval' and contributing to severe health complications. The statement underscores broader concerns about detainee mistreatment at the facility.

A recent CBS News report revealed that five inmates have died within six weeks at Rikers Island, including Dashawn Jenkins who died while in custody. The incident has intensified calls for systemic reform amidst ongoing concerns over inadequate medical care and human rights violations at the jail complex.

Reporting of a preventable inmate death and the persistent lack of investment in humane facility conditions highlight systemic neglect at Rikers Island. Political failure to adequately reform the jail system, despite promises of transformation, has led to dire consequences for incarcerated individuals.

The Independent Rikers Commission released a reform blueprint on March 19, 2025, that calls for closing Rikers Island due to long-standing issues of dysfunction, violence, and neglect. The report highlights unsafe conditions, excessive costs, and a failure to protect marginalized populations, urging urgent action from city leadership.

On March 19, 2025, the Independent Rikers Commission released a report outlining a blueprint for closing Rikers Island, citing longstanding issues such as unsafe conditions, violence, neglect, and systemic dysfunction. The report details a humanitarian crisis marked by 61 deaths since 2020 and high per-detainee costs, and calls for a transition toward a borough-based jail system.

The NYC Department of Correction announced plans to open the bidding process for its contentious commissary contract with the Keefe Group, following widespread criticism over excessive pricing and subpar service. The reform also includes auditing existing contracts and considering refunds of unspent commissary funds to detainees.

On November 27, 2024, a U.S. District Judge found New York City in contempt for failing to adhere to mandated reforms aimed at reducing violence and neglect at Rikers Island. The ruling criticized the persistent refusal to implement court-ordered safety and security measures, marking a significant exposure of systemic failure and putting the jail complex at risk of a federal receivership.

The city progresses with its plan to close the notorious Rikers Island detention complex by selecting construction firms for new jail facilities in Manhattan, as part of broader prison reform efforts aimed at addressing longstanding criticisms of inhumane conditions.

Corrections workers at Rikers Island have reached a $6.2 million settlement over wage and hour disputes, addressing longstanding grievances and marking progress in labor rights at the facility.

The NYCLU and other civil rights groups have called for a federal receivership of Rikers Island, citing chronic abuse, violent conditions, and a systemic lack of transparency. The initiative, which seeks to end dangerous practices and ultimately close the jail, highlights widespread cover-ups and neglect in documenting abuse and deaths.

NYC's efforts to close the troubled Rikers Island jail are faltering amid bureaucratic gridlock and political battles, prolonging the operation of a facility known for harsh conditions and detainee harm.