NPR

City Council Votes To Close New York's Notorious Rikers Island Jail Complex

The city expects to reduce its jail population by more than half by 2026 and plans to relocate prisoners in four smaller jails spread across the city.

The City Council of New York voted 36-13 Thursday to approve a plan to close the city's notorious jail complex on Rikers Island by 2026 in favor of four smaller jails spread out across the city.

Under , the four new or expanded jails will be located in the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, closer to existing courthouses.

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