Mayor Mamdani Permanently Closes a Rikers Facility, Marking a Major Milestone Toward Closing the Jail Complex

 

North Infirmary Command permanently closes as City transfers three Rikers facilities to DCAS   

  

First property transfer on Rikers Island from DOC to DCAS since 2021 advances plans to close the jail complex  

Today, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Stanley Richards and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei announced major milestones in the City’s effort to close the jails on Rikers Island and replace them with a modern, borough-based jail system.   

  

Under the Mayor’s direction, DOC permanently closed the North Infirmary Command, a vacant jail that first opened in 1932, and transferred the facility to DCAS. The DOC also transferred jurisdiction over large portions of the George Motchan Detention Center (GMDC) and Anna M. Kross Center (AMKC) to DCAS. Neither facility currently houses people in custody. These are the first property transfers from DOC to DCAS since 2021.   

  

“For decades, Rikers Island has represented one of the deepest failures of our City government. It has failed people in custody, correction officers and every New Yorker who believes our justice system should live up to its name,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This milestone brings us closer to ending that chapter. We are replacing a system built around neglect with one centered on rehabilitation and accountability because public safety and human dignity are not competing values.”  

  

“Today’s announcement represents another important step toward closing Rikers Island,” said First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan. “For too long, the people who are in custody and work on Rikers have been treated as an afterthought by City government. With this transfer, our Administration is showing New Yorkers that we are seriously committed to building a safer, more humane borough-based jail system and governing with compassion.”  

  

“This is not just about closing facilities; it is about building a modern, state-of-the-art system that promotes dignity for staff and those in our care,” said DOC Commissioner Stanley Richards.  “Now is the time to be ambitious and create a system that supports the lifesaving work of this Department while helping those in our care make meaningful changes that will allow them to thrive upon their return home. This is an important step toward a safer, more effective correctional system for our city and the communities we serve.”  

  

“Today’s announcement marks an important step in the city's ongoing efforts to close facilities on Rikers Island and advance the island's future,” said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “In coordination with the Department of Correction, the North Infirmary Command and portions of the Anna M. Kross Center and George Motchan Detention Center are being moved into our agency portfolio, and we are looking forward to identifying meaningful future uses for these sites, including opportunities for sustainable infrastructure and other public purposes that serve the city’s long-term needs.”  

  

“Every facility we close and every jail we transfer brings us one step closer to finishing the job of closing Rikers Island. Today’s milestone is another example of the Mamdani administration turning a long-standing legal obligation into meaningful action through coordinated work across City government,” said Close Rikers Czar Dana Kaplan. “We are moving with urgency to transition away from Rikers while replacing it with a smaller, safer, and more humane correctional system.”

  

“Today’s transfers demonstrate the strong leadership we need to permanently end the failures of Rikers, and use the island for something that actually helps New Yorkers. Closing the decrepit, dangerous jails on Rikers is essential to safety and justice,” said Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of New York State and chair of the Independent Rikers Commission. “That's why our Commission looks forward to working with the Administration and all stakeholders to replace Rikers with a safer, more effective system, and to bring the Renewable Rikers vision to life.”  

  

“Today’s announcement by Mayor Mamdani signals a welcome and unambiguous change in direction from the previous administration,” said Eric A. Goldstein, NYC Environment Director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and a public member of the Rikers Island Advisory Committee established by the City Council. “The post-incarceration future for Rikers Island envisions solar energy, composting, and modern wastewater facilities on the island that can produce hundreds of green jobs for city residents and turn an island of shame into a showplace of sustainability — social justice and environmental protection moving hand in hand.”  

  

The North Infirmary Command (NIC) originally opened in 1932 and most recently housed people in DOC custody with acute medical needs requiring infirmary-level care.   

  

The closure was made possible by Mayor Mamdani’s push to open the Outposted Therapeutic Housing Unit at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in April. The 104-bed unit provides a therapeutic setting with direct access to specialty medical care and is the first of three planned Outposted Therapeutic Housing Units across the city.   

  

AMKC opened in 1978 and was once the largest jail on Rikers Island, spanning 40 acres. The facility stopped housing people in 2023, although Rikers’ main kitchen remains there. GMDC opened in 1971 and stopped housing people in 2018. Today, the facility serves as a DOC Training Academy annex, while its former visit house has been converted into a wellness center for correction officers.  

  

The City previously transferred the James A. Thomas Center and several parcels of unused land on Rikers Island to DCAS in 2021. With these additional transfers, the Mamdani administration will accelerate planning for future use of Rikers Island as the City continues the work of permanently closing the jail complex.