Rikers nominee urges city to plan for high jail population

Martha King, the former executive director of the Board of Correction, told city lawmakers on Monday that New York City needs backup plans to close Rikers Island. She warned that the city may not be able to lower the jail population enough to fit the upcoming borough-based facilities.

King is currently a nominee for the Board of Correction. During a nomination hearing before the City Council, she described the potential failure to meet population targets as a huge concern. The new jails are scheduled to open over the next five years and have a combined capacity of 4,400 people. Rikers Island currently holds approximately 6,600 people.

The city is behind schedule for its goal to shut down the Rikers complex by August 2027. The first of four new borough-based jails is not expected to be finished until 2029. The remaining three facilities are not expected to open until at least 2032. This timeline creates a gap between the planned closure of Rikers and the availability of new space.

Incarceration numbers have risen since a pandemic-era low in 2020, when the average population on Rikers was 4,600. In 2025, the average annual population was nearly 7,200. City data shows the average for 2026 is currently around 6,670. This figure has remained largely stagnant compared to levels from last November.

City officials have acknowledged that closing Rikers by 2027 is unlikely. The mayor’s office missed a May deadline set by a City Council law to present a closure plan. King argued that the city should start planning for contingencies immediately.

King identified two groups of inmates that the city should prioritize for transfer off the island. The first group consists of individuals whose cases have been pending for years. The second group includes those with severe mental illness.

More than 500 pre-trial detainees on Rikers have waited for their trials to begin for two or more years. Approximately 200 of those individuals have been waiting for more than three years. King stated that the city needs to work closely with the court system to speed up case processing.

Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas noted in June that courts have faced difficulties in moving cases faster. He cited slow evidence turnover by prosecutors and a lack of beds for defendants with mental health issues as major obstacles. Zayas said that improving efficiency in high-volume courts requires a coordinated effort from all stakeholders.

Individuals with severe mental illness currently make up about 20 percent of the Rikers population. King called this percentage unprecedented and noted that the numbers have continued to rise. She said the city needs a focused plan to provide alternatives to jail for this group.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani opened a therapeutic housing unit at Bellevue Hospital earlier this year. The unit has about 100 beds and treats detainees with severe physical and mental health conditions. The mayor’s office has committed to completing two additional outposted therapeutic units. Sam Raskin, a mayoral spokesperson, said the administration will use every available tool to close Rikers and transition to the borough-based system.

Raskin said the plan includes expanding alternatives to incarceration and strengthening access to mental health treatment. He added that the goal is to create a safer and more humane correctional system for New Yorkers.