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The number of Rikers detainees is down, but jail cost isn’t, report says
By
Matt Katz
Published Sep 13, 2024
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Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Matt Katz
Published Sep 13, 2024
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Overtime costs for correction officers at Rikers Island have skyrocketed under New York City Mayor Eric Adams, costing taxpayers more than $270 million last year, according to a new report from the city's Independent Budget Office.
The city now spends $629 daily to house each detainee at Rikers, the report found — double what it cost a decade ago. That figure does not include medical care.
Overtime costs are a big reason why the Department of Correction's budget was the same in fiscal year 2023, adjusted for inflation, as in fiscal year 2014. This was despite the fact that both the number of officers and detainees plummeted during that time, researchers found.
“It should not be assumed that further decarceration or even lower staffing levels will lead to future savings without better management," the report concluded.
The number of Rikers detainees dropped 45% during the period covered in the study, while the number of uniformed officers fell 24%. The detainee-to-staff ratio at is now about 1-to-1, which is higher than the 4-to-1 national average for jails, according to the report.
Despite the declines in staff and detainees, personnel costs remained approximately the same during the study period because the $116 million in overtime largely offset the decrease in regular salaries.
Spending on outside contracts also increased from $13 million to $90 million, according to the report. That spending covered emergency repairs at the aging jails, which are supposed to be closed and replaced with four new city jails in three years, and the replacement of broken cell doors, which pose a security threat. There was also new spending on addiction treatment services, parenting classes and vocational training.
In its concluding recommendation, the budget office said that if the Department of Correction can reduce its costs by lowering the number of detainees it holds, then more money would be available for community-based programs for those involved with the criminal justice system.
Spokespeople for the department did not immediately return a request for comment.
Tagged
new york city
Rikers Island
corrections
public safety
Matt Katz
Matt Katz is a former WNYC & Gothamist reporter.
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