In-depth look at life on Rikers Island: ‘Hell, plain and simple’

A court-appointed federal monitor of Rikers Island recently reported that “conditions have progressively and substantially worsened.” Vincent Schiraldi, who previously oversaw the massive jail complex, and Sarena Townsend, who was in charge of investigating staff misconduct, point to “patterns of sick leave abuse” as one of the most pressing problems. Benny Boscio, the union president representing officers, says it's “nonsense” that officers call out on purpose, and that staff are trying to do an impossible job. Disagreements aside, all three agree that Rikers is horribly broken.


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Feb. 4, 2022