NYC Correction officials to increase beds in jail dorm housing to deal with growing population

The Correction Department will jam another 10 beds into dormitory-style housing areas at one jail on Rikers Island as part of a broader plan to address the growth in the population of the jail system.

Dorms in the Otis Bantum Correctional Center and other city jails are typically capped at 50 beds, but DOC officials wanted to increase the limit to 60 beds. On Tuesday, the Board of Correction approved the so-called “variance” request by a 5-to-2 vote.

Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie attributed the move to an increase in the total jail population since Mayor Adams took office in January 2022. She also cited a continuing challenge in recruiting new officers to staff the jails.

There were 5,400 people held in the jails in January 2022, compared with 6,530 as of Oct. 1, a 21% increase, statistics show.

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Associate Commissioner Ned McCormick told the board there are three more phases to the expansion plan, including reopening closed facilities, but declined to further detail those steps in the board meeting. The agency’s press office did not respond to a request to expand on his remarks.

McCormick said department models have “consistently predicted an upward trend in population.”

“Despite diligent efforts in recruitment and retention, the staffing crisis continues,” he said.

Dr. Robert Cohen, a board member, questioned the decision to expand beds when there are other options — such as using a city law known as “6A” that allows the commissioner to release detainees at her discretion and speeding up transfer of convicted people to state prison.

“You can release hundreds of people if you wanted to, and you have a significant number of people who do not have to be on Rikers Island,” Cohen said.

Cohen noted former Mayor Bill de Blasio and now Mayor Adams have been citing emergency provisions to suspend rules governing detainee conditions since September 2021.

“If the department’s population is too large for your ability to recruit staff, I think the department should seriously consider decreasing the number of people under your custody because it doesn’t sound like it’s a safe situation,” Cohen said.

Board member Felipe Franco urged the agency to look at the period people are detained on Rikers, which on average is close to 100 days. That’s triple the national average of 32.5 days.

“When I look at some of your data, the biggest factor I see in the last few years is this enormous length of stay,” Franco said.

Maginley-Liddie countered that the increase in dorm beds is one step to deal with the rising population, including working with the courts to reduce the length of stay.

“We are making strides to ensuring their cases are being reviewed,” she said. “We’re looking at everything possible.”

Maginley-Liddie said since she became commissioner, in December 2023 she has released 45 people through 6A. She also said she wants to open more housing areas, but needs state approval and construction.