Change Slow to Come to Rikers

In what is the first of several reports to come, investigators monitoring Rikers Island said significant progress has been made towards reforming the troubled jail system but the report also points to concern over problematic uses of force by guards.

The monitors were appointed after a scathing report by federal prosecutors revealed the brutal treatment of adolescent inmates and after a class action lawsuit by adult inmates alleged excessive use of force was rampant at city jails. As part of a settlement, the city is now required to make hundreds of changes which include things like looking at ways to move 16 and 17-year-old inmates off Rikers Island and installing more stationary video cameras as well as hand-held cameras and body-worn cameras.

The report gave credit to the city for improving how use of force incidents get investigated,  for creating different ways to discipline young inmates as it tries to end solitary confinement for them and for giving correction officers extensive training. The monitors said the training that includes showing them proper defense tactics to limit injuries goes beyond what the settlement calls for but they also raised concerns about the "poor condition" of the training academy used by the Department of Correction and said it pales in comparison to the state-of-the-art facility used to train police recruits. 

As part of the report, 800 use-of-force cases were reviewed and analyzed. Monitors said that while investigations into the incidents were not fully complete,  they were concerned about how frequently officers use force on inmates in restraints, strike inmates in the head, use pepper stray, or use force in areas where there's no cameras.  

Overall, uses of force are highest among inmates 18-years-old and younger. The monitors said there could be several reasons for that including that teenage inmates are more aggressive and fight more.  According to city data, there's been 114 stabbings and slashings so far in fiscal year 2016, compared to 68 three years prior. It's not clear whether younger inmates are responsible for the increase.

Department of Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte said the city has gone beyond the reforms outlined in the settlement. 

"Whether by eliminating punitive segregation for 18-21-year-olds, requiring more hours of training...or expanding resources for the youngest inmates. We are pleased that the report recognizes our achievements," he wrote.