One of four New York City jails under construction to replace Rikers Island will have additional beds to accommodate the city’s growing inmate population, jail officials said.
But to increase capacity, the size of a unit specializing in helping people with mental illness and addiction problems will have to be reduced.
These units are more spacious and were designed to reduce the risk of suicide.
The jail, which will be housed in the former Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue, will receive a $3 billion injection, allowing it to have 1,040 beds, instead of 886. But due to zoning laws, it cannot be bigger than the old House of Detention.
The City’s decision stands in stark contrast to the fact that the percentage of people diagnosed with mental illness who are in custody has steadily increased in recent years.
2023-07-22 20:18:00
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