New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has issued an emergency executive order to overhaul the city’s approach to solitary confinement and jail oversight at Rikers Island, marking a shift from policies advanced under former Mayor Eric Adams.
A new report by the Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay College warns that Rikers Island has become the largest mental health facility in New York City, with 60% of incarcerated individuals requiring mental health care, and recommends expanding community-based treatment options and increasing mental health courts to reduce the jail population.
By Daphne Ho NEW YORK, NY – “Even as the population of New York City jails declined…