A federal judge declared New York City in contempt on Wednesday regarding the conditions present in its jail system, noting that the situation has deteriorated over the nine years since a previous settlement was reached concerning accusations of abuse and violence.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain, presiding in Manhattan, issued a detailed ruling that identified 18 specific claims of contempt against the city.
This ruling originates from litigation that commenced in 2012, initiated by the Legal Aid Society and other organizations that accused the city’s Department of Correction of utilizing excessive and unwarranted force within its jails.
Although a settlement and consent decree were established in October 2015, Swain stated that the conditions have significantly worsened over the past decade.
“The rate of force used and other metrics related to violence, self-harm, and deaths in custody are significantly higher than they were when the Consent Judgment was enacted,” she remarked.
She went on to mention that the ongoing rates of force incidents, stabbings, fights, assaults on staff, and fatalities in custody remain alarmingly elevated, without any meaningful reduction in the dangers faced by both inmates and staff in the Rikers Island facilities.
Swain has instructed all involved parties to collaborate and propose remedies in the following weeks.
Neither the Department of Correction nor the Legal Aid Society provided immediate responses to requests for comments regarding the ruling.
Just last year, inmate advocates requested that the judge hold the city in contempt and consider placing it under receivership.
They claimed that correctional officers persist in employing head strikes against inmates, as well as banned practices such as chokeholds and body slamming, even resorting to force against individuals who are restrained.
The advocates further contended that the leadership within the agency has consistently disregarded the monitor’s recommendations and has failed to implement measures aimed at reducing abusive conduct.
In September, Swain instructed city officials to begin formulating a strategy for a potential federal takeover of Rikers Island in light of these ongoing concerns.
