"That is, he's down with the de Blasio-era law that requires the 15,000-bed Rikers complex to shutter by 2027, even though that plan assumed smaller jails in four boroughs would be finished first. Yet even the fanatically anti-Rikers Lippman Commission now admits Rikers can't close on schedule, the four replacement jails won't be built before 2032. And of course costs are running nearly twice the original $9 billion price tag, with most of the work still ahead."
"But don't bet the mortgage (or even your lunch money) on any of those deadlines standing up. So, even though the progressive-dominated City Council so far won't even think of updating the law, Gotham has plenty of time to reverse course, drop the borough-based jails and simply rebuild on Rikers Island. That way, New York City can retain the detention capacity it actually needs, and not have to start cutting perps loose."
Andrew Cuomo now supports rebuilding the Rikers Island jail complex instead of replacing it with smaller borough jails. Cuomo had earlier called Rikers a "hell hole" that needed closure, but his current stance aligns with retaining detention capacity. Zohran Mamdani originally pushed to abolish jails and close Rikers without replacements, but has shifted toward supporting the replacement plan. The de Blasio-era law mandates Rikers close by 2027, yet official estimates now push borough jail completion into 2029–2032 and costs have nearly doubled from $9 billion. The City Council has not moved to update the law, leaving time to reconsider rebuilding on Rikers.
Read at New York Post
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