Opinion: Decarcerating NYC Starts With Building Smaller Jails | City Limits

The Rikers Island jail complex is notorious worldwide for its pervasive cycles of violence and abuse among those incarcerated, staff, volunteers and visitors — the causes of which are numerous and intractable. These subhuman conditions are further reflected by the rapidly deteriorating structure and lack of basic services which are continually perpetuated by the physical isolation of the facilities. This separation only serves to create barriers between incarcerated people and the support systems they require to successfully navigate and surmount the justice system. Keep reading.