Rikers Now Looks to Bring Back Nonprofits After Kicking Them Off Island
In May 2023, the Adams administration announced that it would save $17 million by not renewing five contracts with nonprofits that provided programs to help people behind bars stay off drugs, find housing, and learn job skills. Correction officers and some additional civilian staffers would seamlessly take over various classes, Francis Torres, who served as the Department of Correction’s deputy commissioner of the Division of Programs and Community Partnerships, testified to the City Council at the time.
"We are developing a transitional plan, to make sure the 69 counselors are actually in place to assume the new responsibilities," she testified.
That never happened. Jail officials have never been able to fully fill those roles, and there are currently 32 vacancies, Nell McCarty, DOC’s current deputy commissioner of programs and community partnerships, testified at a City Council budget hearing Friday.
As a result, there were 4,100 fewer group "facilitation sessions" for detainees over the first four months of fiscal year 2024 compared to the same period the prior year, according to the Mayor’s Management Report. There was also a 3,460 drop in the number of one-on-one sessions over that same period.
‘Eager to Return’
McCarty conceded that in-sourcing the work "did present some challenges" especially for one-on-one instruction.
"What I would like to highlight, though, is that what we have seen in the first quarter of fiscal year 25 is a 44% increase of group programming compared to last year at the same time," she testified. "And so what that says to me is that we are starting to stabilize our services."
Still, nearly two years later, the DOC posted in January that it was once again seeking outside providers to run programs for detainees. The department has earmarked $13 million to pay for those four contracts, McCarty told the Council.
The new deals "are not a replacement of the prior contracts," she said, noting "they’re covering different topics, and this was gathered through focus groups and surveys with people in custody to identify what services they were seeking additional support with."
Not Meeting Mandatory Time
As for the five hours of programming, one Rikers detainee locked up for the past year said he never gets that much.
"Hell no!" the incarcerated man, who asked his name be withheld, told THE CITY via a phone interview on Friday. He typically receives an hour of group counselling and another for art therapy several days each week inside his housing unit in the Otis Bantum Correctional Center, he said, spending most of his time as a suicide prevention aid watching high-risk detainees with mental health diagnosis.
Tough Job
Correction officials are also struggling to recruit and retain correction officers with approximately 1,100 uniformed openings, Commissioner Maginley-Liddie told the Council Friday.
The DOC currently employees 6,000 uniformed officers, a 20% drop from January 2022, she said. Additionally, nearly 250 members are presently eligible to retire and 450 more will become eligible by the end of the year.
ICE Talks
Meanwhile, Commissioner Maginley-Liddie told the Council she has talked to people in City Hall about Mayor Eric Adams’ plan to sign an executive order to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate on Rikers Island, as it had until a decade ago when a "sanctuary city" law forbade cooperation.
"We’ve had conversations but I’ve not seen an executive order," she said without offering further details, noting it would be handled by the city’s Law Department.
Related
Conclusion:
Rikers Island is struggling to provide adequate programming for its detainees, with significant drops in group and one-on-one sessions since the city opted to in-source programs. The Department of Correction is now seeking outside providers to run new programs, including substance abuse treatment, trauma-informed care, and education services. While officials have acknowledged the challenges, they are working to stabilize services and meet the needs of those behind bars.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the current state of programming on Rikers Island?
A: Programming has been significantly reduced since the city opted to in-source services, with significant drops in group and one-on-one sessions.
Q: What is being done to address the shortage of correction officers?
A: The Department of Correction is struggling to recruit and retain correction officers, with approximately 1,100 uniformed openings.
Q: Is the city considering allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate on Rikers Island again?
A: Commissioner Maginley-Liddie has discussed the possibility with City Hall officials, but no executive order has been signed.
