200 Women, Trans Inmates Will Be Transferred From Rikers Island

New York City NY

13 October, 2021

3:54 PM

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NEW YORK CITY — Nearly all women and trans-identified people now behind bars in Rikers Island soon will be transferred from the troubled jail. A deal struck Wednesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Bill de Blasio will transfer 200 women and trans inmates in state-run facilities, officials said. The agreement is part of an ongoing effort to alleviate overcrowded and inhumane conditions at the Rikers jail, which has been in a months-long crisis. Hochul said the transfers beginning next week will remove especially vulnerable people from Rikers. "These actions will further help ease staffing concerns, capacity constraints, and improve safety for several hundred detainees until such time that the City can identify and implement a permanent solution that will bring justice to the situation at Rikers," Hochul said in a statement. The transfers will occur twice per week and start with 10 to 20 people in each batch, officials said.