Federal judge appoints remediation manager for Rikers Island cleanup
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NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – A federal judge has appointed a remediation manager to oversee the cleanup of Rikers Island. New York City has lost control of the infamous jail.
The decision was filed as part of Chief United States District Judge Laura Talor Sawins' 77-page ruling released Tuesday morning.
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'The Court will appoint an independent Nunez Remediation Manager who shall report directly to this Court and be empowered to take all actions necessary to cure Defendants' contempt and support remediation of the ongoing violations of the constitutional rights of people in custody in the New York City jails. The Court expects that the Remediation Manager and the Commissioner of the Department of Correction will work as collaboratively as possible to achieve remediation of the Contempt Provisions and compliance with the Consent Judgment, including by building upon the progress that has been achieved since the current Commissioner took office.'
Excerpt from Sawins' 77-page ruling
The jail complex, located on a hard-to-reach island in the East River, has long suffered from rampant disorder and neglect. Rates of violence, use of force, self-harm, and deaths in custody in city jails have gotten 'demonstrably worse' since the city and parties agreed in October 2015 to a settlement, consent decree, and the appointment of a federal monitor, Swain said.
In 2022, 19 people died in custody at Rikers Island. Nine more died in 2023, and at least five died in 2024.
By the end of 2024, Swain had held New York City in contempt for failing to stop violence and brutality at its jails and commented that there had been 'no substantial reduction in the risk of harm currently facing those who live and work in the Rikers Island jails.'
The U.S. Attorney's office stated that the women and men of the Southern District are prepared to collaborate with the new manager. The attorney's office also noted that Rikers fails its over 7,000 individuals in custody, as well as the correction officers, staff, and the people of New York.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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