A federal judge has taken the unprecedented step of removing New York City's authority over the Rikers Island jail complex, citing years of worsening violence and unsafe conditions.
The judge's 77-page ruling appoints an independent official, known as a federal receiver, to oversee the jail and implement urgently needed reforms. This decision comes after nearly a decade of failed attempts by city officials to address the facility's notorious problems. The move is seen as a last resort to protect inmates and staff from ongoing harm.
Rikers Island has long been criticized for its dangerous environment and lack of effective oversight.
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Judge seizes control of New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex
A federal judge on Tuesday seized control of New York City's notorious jail complex on Rikers Island, which will now be run by an official who reports directly to the court. In a 77-page ruling, Judge Laura Taylor Swain wrote that she found the conduct of city over the last nine years "leaves no doubt that continued insistence on compliance with the court's orders by persons answerable principally to political authorities would lead only to confrontation and delay.
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