File #: Int 1242-2025    Version: * Name: Establishing a coordinator for Rikers Island closure and a coordinator for borough-based jail transition.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Criminal Justice
On agenda: 4/10/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a coordinator for Rikers Island closure and a coordinator for borough-based jail transition
Sponsors: Sandy Nurse, Farah N. Louis, Carlina Rivera
Council Member Sponsors: 3
Summary: This bill would require the establishment of an Office of Coordinator for Rikers Island Closure with a full-time coordinator and dedicated staff that reports directly to the Mayor. This new office will be responsible for coordinating actions and policies by agencies with a role in the closure of Rikers Island, including those with duties related to jail population reduction, design and construction of the borough-based jails, design and construction of outposted therapeutic housing units, correctional workforce development, training, and operations, and planning for the future use of Rikers Island for environmental sustainability and resiliency purposes. In addition, this bill also requires the establishment of Coordinator for Borough-Based Jail Transition within the department of correction. Among other things, that position will be responsible for advising and assisting the commissioner and developing a strategic plan with recommended reforms to staff recruitment, training, supervision, assignments, scheduling, operations, and organizational culture that can be implemented in order to improve conditions for current jail staff and people in custody and facilitate a successful transition and improve safety for jail staff and people in custody at the borough-based jails and outposted therapeutic housing units.
Indexes: Other Appointment Required, Report Required, Sunset Date Applies
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1242, 2. Int. No. 1242, 3. April 10, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Committee Report 4/16/25, 5. Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council, 6. Fiscal Impact Statement - OMB

Int. No. 1242

 

By Council Members Nurse, Louis and Rivera

 

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a coordinator for Rikers Island closure and a coordinator for borough-based jail transition

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. The New York city charter is amended by adding a new chapter 80 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 80

OFFICE OF COORDINATOR FOR RIKERS ISLAND CLOSURE

§ 3600. Office of coordinator for Rikers Island closure. a. By no later than three months after the effective date of this section, the mayor shall appoint a full-time coordinator of Rikers Island closure and provide the coordinator with full-time staff within the office of the mayor. The coordinator shall:

1. Report directly to the mayor and advise and assist the mayor regarding the steps necessary to close Rikers Island and coordinate actions and policies by agencies with a role in the closure of Rikers Island, including those with duties related to jail population reduction, design and construction of the borough-based jails, design and construction of outposted therapeutic housing units, correctional workforce development, training, and operations, and planning for the future use of Rikers Island for environmental sustainability and resiliency purposes;

2. Review the budget requests of all agencies for programs related to closure of Rikers Island to identify gaps or additional budgetary needs to advance the closure of Rikers Island;

3. Respond to requests for data and information and, upon request, testify at City Council hearings pertaining to issues related to the closure of Rikers Island;

4. Establish, and serve as chair, of an interagency working group to assess progress and coordinate action towards the closure of Rikers Island. In addition to full-time staff for the coordinator within the office of the mayor, staff assistance for the interagency working group shall be provided by the member agencies and other offices within the office of the mayor. The interagency working group shall, at a minimum;

(a) Consist of heads of the following city agencies, or their designees:

(1.) The department of citywide administrative services;

(2.) The department of correction;

(3.) The office of criminal justice;

(4.) The department of design and construction;

(5.) The department of education;

(6.) The department of environmental protection;

(7,) The department of health and mental hygiene,

(8.) The office of management and budget;

(9.) The police department;

(10.) The health and hospitals corporation;

(11.) The office of chief medical examiner;

(12.) The office of the sheriff;

(13.) The office of climate and environmental justice; and

(14.) Such other offices within the office of the mayor or other city or state agencies and stakeholders as shall be designated by the coordinator, when appropriate.

(b) By no later than six months after the date by which the coordinator is appointed, the coordinator shall submit to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and post conspicuously on the department of correction’s website a strategic plan with measurable goals and targets, including a detailed list of programmatic and budgetary commitments that will safely lower the jail population, a schedule for the phased closure of jails on Rikers Island corresponding with projected jail population reductions, a timeline for constructing, staffing, and opening outposted therapeutic housing units, and a list of commitments with implementation timelines for how Rikers Island can be used for environmental sustainability and resiliency purposes;

(c) Following the release of the strategic plan, the working group shall meet monthly with the speaker of the council, or the designee of the speaker, to coordinate action toward meeting the goals set forth in the strategic plan and submit to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and post conspicuously on the department of correction’s website quarterly public reports, with detailed data, that evaluates progress toward meeting goals set forth in the strategic plan;

§ 2. Chapter 1 of title 9 of the administrative code is amended by adding a new section 9-171 to read as follows:

§ 9-171 Coordinator for borough-based jail transition. a. By no later than three months after the effective date of this act, the department shall establish the full-time position of coordinator for borough-based jail transition. The coordinator shall:

1. Advise and assist the commissioner, respond to requests for data and information and, upon request, testify at City Council hearings pertaining to issues related to the transition to the borough-based jails;

2.   By no later than six months after the date by which the coordinator is appointed, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and post conspicuously on the department’s website a strategic plan, with recommended reforms to staff recruitment, training, supervision, assignments, scheduling, operations, and organizational culture that can be implemented in order to improve conditions for current jail staff and people in custody and facilitate a successful transition and improve safety for jail staff and people in custody at the borough-based jails and outposted therapeutic housing units. The strategic plan shall also include an assessment of the feasibility of using one of the jails on Rikers Island to test and evaluate innovative changes to correctional practice that, if successful, can be replicated in other jails on Rikers Island and in the borough-based jails. During the development of this strategic plan, the coordinator should seek and incorporate feedback on recommended reforms from both jail staff and people in custody;

3. Following the release of the strategic plan, the coordinator shall submit to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and post conspicuously on the department’s website quarterly reports, with detailed data, that evaluates progress toward meeting goals set forth in the strategic plan;

4. By no later than six months after the date by which the coordinator is appointed, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and post conspicuously on the department’s website a detailed staffing and operational plan for every jail, including a breakdown by individual housing unit, for each jail on Rikers Island;

5. By no later than one year after the date by which the coordinator is appointed, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and post conspicuously on the department’s website a detailed staffing and operational  plan for each planned borough-based jail and outposted therapeutic housing unit. If lack of design information prevents the completion of staffing and operational plan for any of the borough-based jails or outposted therapeutic housing units the commissioner should be submit the required plans to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and post conspicuously on the department’s website as soon as practicable.

§3. This local law takes effect immediately. The mayor and any affected city agencies may take any steps necessary for the implementation of this local law before such effective date. This local law shall expire and be deemed repealed six months after all portions of Rikers Island are fully transferred and under the charge and control of the commissioner of citywide administrative services and are no longer being used by the department of correction for the housing of incarcerated persons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JW

LS 19301

4/2/25