Its fun to fantasize about what Rikers Island could become if there werent a jail complex there. But the situation on Rikers today is deadly serious. Thousands of New Yorkers, many of them young, are being steered in exactly the wrong direction by their incarceration at Rikers. They are assaulted by fellow inmates and correction officers, isolated from family members and hardened rather than helpedreceiving little in the way of treatment or services that would reduce their chances of being arrested again. Weapons are smuggled in or fashioned from objects ripped from the aging buildings.About 85% of Rikers 7,800 detainees are simply awaiting their day in court, during which time they often lose their jobs, housing and other connections with their communities. Many serve more time at Rikers than they would if convicted, which pressures them to cop pleas whether they are guilty or not. The city spends $300 million a year shuttling people to and from the island, including security costs.City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito has rightly said that closing Rikers is worth pursuingnow, and has formed a commission to examine how it might be done. Though Mayor Bill de Blasio pointed out that the city lacks the money or the facilities to relocate Rikers population, the speakers goal is actually quite achievable.Experts have already outlined the necessary steps. Faster processing after arrests could reduce by thousands the number of beds needed systemwide. Bail reform could eliminate the need to detain people who are not a danger to society, and other methods could be employed to ensure they appear for their court dates. More of the 40% of Rikers inmates with signs of mental illness could be diverted to treatment. To house the rest, existing detention facilities in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx could be expanded and modernized, and a new one built in Queens to replace one that has closed.With these changes, fewer correction officers would be needed, so their union will fight change any way it can. Already it is spreading the notion that neighborhood jails put New Yorkers at risk, which is absurd. We already have three of them. If anything, they make communities safer because correction officers travel in and out of the jails.Pushing to close Rikers will accelerate changes that reduce crime, ease suffering and save cash. It will require money and resolve, but fixing Rikers and its corrupt, violent culture would be harder. And once Rikers is razed, we can get to the fun part: making the island into something productive, rather than destructive.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: This lunch box for adults could change the way you eat
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