Violence in NYC Jails on the Rise Despite Fewer Inmates: Report

NEW YORK CITY, NY — There are less inmates in New York City jails than at any time in the past three decades, but don't be fooled: City jails are just as bad as ever. Despite a steadily declining number of inmates in the city's jails, the system is costing taxpayers more than ever, and violence within city jails is on the rise, according to a Monday report from the Comptroller Scott Stringer's office.

Stringer's report showed that facilities managed by the NYC Department of Corrections (DOC) hold an average daily inmate population of 9,790, the lowest figure in 33 years. But the system costs New Yorkers $1.29 billion, or $132,010 per inmate, a 17 percent increase from 2015.

The report also showed that today's inmate population is more violent.

In 2016 there were a reported 1,148 fight and assault infractions per 1,000 inmates, a 25 percent increase from 2015 and a 50 percent increase from 2014. Stringer's report showed that the number of assaults on DOC staff has dropped from 103.2 to 94.8 per 1,000 inmates. But guards have not returned the favor, as the use of force on inmates by DOC staff increased from 471 to 538 per 1,000 inmates.

Compared to other major U.S. cities with large jail systems, New York's remains significantly more expensive, according to Stringer's report. The cost-per-inmate for New York is 102 percent higher than Chicago, 117 percent higher than Miami, 195 percent higher than Los Angeles and 278 percent higher than Philadelphia.

"By many measures, New York City’s criminal justice system is moving backwards, not forward. Instead of working to reverse the cycle of crime and poverty in our communities, we are warehousing New Yorkers in jails like Rikers Island, which are getting more violent by the day," Stringer said in a statement.

"The fact is, today’s jails are failing to protect inmates and officers alike, while soaking up more and more tax dollars every year. New Yorkers deserve a 21st Century criminal justice system, focused on fairness and rehabilitation – rather than one that prizes permanent punishment. We must continue to explore smarter, and more humane, ways to tackle this issue – and work towards closing Rikers Island once and for all."

Read the full report from NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer's office here.

The DOC operates seven jail facilities in the city: Rikers Island (which itself is made up of 10 different facilities), Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward, Brooklyn Detention Complex, Elmhurst Hospital Prison Ward, Manhattan Detention Complex, Queens Detention Complex and the Vernon C. Bain Center, according to its website.

Photo by Doc Searls via Flickr/Creative Commons