Judge Takes Control of Rikers Island Reform

A federal judge has usurped control of New York's embattled Rikers Island jail complex, removing it from the city's jurisdiction amid escalating violent conditions. Judge Laura Taylor Swain announced that an independent authority would be appointed to reform the troubled facility, following a decade of deteriorating circumstances.

In detailing her decision, Swain cited alarmingly high rates of stabbings, assaults, and in-custody deaths, underscoring the pressing need for oversight beyond city administration. The Legal Aid Society hailed the move as a significant acknowledgment of failed leadership in ensuring inmate safety and rights.

Mayor Eric Adams remarked on decades-long challenges at Rikers but affirmed support for any necessary reforms dictated by Swain's appointee. Meanwhile, the city struggles to meet a 2027 deadline for Rikers' closure and replacement with improved facilities amid mounting violent incidents and subsequent fatalities.

(With inputs from agencies.)