As the clock continues to countdown on the 2024 New York State legislative session, increasing focus is drawn towards an evolving crisis in New York’s incarceration facilities. With urgent action necessary in Albany, lawmakers face mounting pressure to address the dire conditions in local jails from Buffalo to Long Island, including the infamous Rikers Island Jail Complex.
New York’s Jailing Dilemma
Each week, tens of thousands of New Yorkers experience the stark realities of cycles within these local jails, raising alarms both within the community and among members of The Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice. The organization highlights the acute concerns of formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, as issues of safety, stability, and humaneness fester in jails across the Big Apple state.
The New York State Commission of Correction (SCOC) is constitutionally mandated to uphold a minimum standard of care within these facilities – a responsibility which extends to inspections, record reviews, and even the issuance of subpoenas for non-compliant jails and prisons.
Decades of Oversight Failure
Sadly, continuous failures by the SCOC have resulted in a crisis that is far from new. Financial and staffing crunches since the 1990s caused a scale back of regular prison inspections, limiting the oversight role of the SCOC and allowing rampant, unresolved issues across New York jails.
A review by New York Focus shed light on over 200 SCOC jail inspection reports between 2018 and 2023, revealing longstanding issues in countless jails, including Onondaga, Rockland, and Dutchess counties. These issues have left incarcerated individuals enduring dangerous and often fatal conditions. Rikers jail is a prime example of the systematic failure, having topped SCOC’s 2018 list of the worst state jails.
Rikers Island: A Case Study of Dysfunction
Rikers jail was dubbed the state’s worst for severe managerial failures, dilapidated facilities, and severe safety violations. Despite the SCOC’s resolve then to swiftly close Rikers, little to no action was subsequently taken to improve conditions. Shocking reports expose further deterioration within the jail, with dozens of pretrial detainees losing their lives amidst the ensuing chaos and violence. This escalating disaster spurred consideration of drastic interventions – like a federal judge appointing an independent receiver to take charge of the jail complex.
Lawmakers Rally for SCOC Reform
In light of the unfolding crises, lawmakers in Albany are renewing efforts to get SCOC back into gear. State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher have cosponsored legislation aimed at augmenting the SCOC commissioner count from three to nine.
The proposed bill (S5877/A5709) stipulates a diversified and experienced commissioner panel, comprising professionals in public health, behavioral healthcare, indigent legal defense, prisoners’ rights litigation, and previously incarcerated individuals. Such a move seeks to strengthen SCOC’s capacity to fulfill its mandate.
Urgently Needed State Corrections Commission
The life-threatening conditions rife in local jails necessitate immediate reform of the current system, prompting a call for a functioning and effective SCOC. With the reform bill already navigating key correction committees in the Senate and Assembly, hopes are high for final passage in the waning days of the session. Such reform could drastically enhance conditions, save lives and perhaps negate the need for federal jurisdiction over state jails.
As we anxiously monitor the legislative labyrinth, let’s remember the stakes: lives are hanging in the balance. It’s time for lawmakers to expedite this reform and deliver it to the governor’s desk. The crisis in our jails demands nothing less.