'It's a Pressure Cooker': Inside Rikers Island, New York's Notorious Jail Plagued by Drugs and Violence
Various problems have reached such a critical point that federal authorities have stripped New York City of control over the notorious Rikers Island jail complex — once slated for closure but still holding nearly 7,000 detainees.
"New York's Boldest" reads a faded mural in the parking lot of Rikers Island, echoing the Department of Correction's (D.O.C.) motto. The peeling paint blends into the backdrop of armored vans, barbed wire and overgrown weeds. To the east, a narrow waterway separates the jail from LaGuardia Airport, its runway ending just a hundred meters from the prison fence. Further west, the sleek skyline of Manhattan seems to look away from its troubled counterpart.
The four nights Dominique Strauss-Kahn spent in Rikers' West Facility — reserved for high-profile inmates — seared the place into French public consciousness. During his stay, the former International Monetary Fund managing director received special treatment: a private cell, walks outside and solo showers. Harvey Weinstein now enjoys similar accommodations.
An old three-lane bridge from Queens is the jail's only link to New York City. Of the 6,800 inmates currently held, nearly 6,000 are awaiting trial. But chronic gridlock in the criminal…
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