NYC’s Thorny Issue: More prisons, fewer prisoners using old tactic: Decentralize
Brooklyn's Atlantic Ave House Of Detention would get bigger
Mayor Bill de Blasio made a major announcement this week that will impact the future of Brooklyn — the city has taken the first steps to close Rikers Island with the first of nine facilities to be closed by the summer.
“Every day we are making New York City’s jail system smaller and safer,” de Blasio said. “This announcement is an important step in our plan to close Rikers Island and create more community-based facilities to better serve people in custody and our hardworking correctional staff.”
The reason for closing Rikers Island is simple. The entire facility is a disaster and its desolate location causes headaches for attorneys, prison guards, social workers and the families of the inmates.