Rikers Island is more than a place on the New York City map. It’s also an idea about how the city deals with crime and dispenses punishment. And over the past year – not for the first time in recent history – Rikers has become synonymous with scandal, abuse, injustice and violence. For some, the promises by the mayor and others to reform Rikers are not enough. So a small but influential set of voices has begun calling not to mend Rikers, but to end it.
With a goal of adding substantive analysis and information to the growing debate, City & State and City Limits present this series of articles exploring Rikers Island, its problems, the proposals to fix them and the bold case for more sweeping change.