NYC jails are rife with organized detainee gangs that oppress and exploit the incarcerated population exerting their control over the whole of Rikers Island. The gangs have a hierarchy and structure and have become the de facto authority in the jails. They are involved in criminal conspiracies, drug trafficking, extortion, protection, credit card fraud, theft, murder for hire, ordering assaults on correction officers and detainees, and the introduction and sale of contraband including, among other things, scalpels, cell phones and tobacco.
Over the last few years many detainees in NYC jails have died of overdoses from illegal drugs supplied by the detainee gangs. Incarcerated gang members on Rikers are making a fortune trafficking drugs in jail because the drugs sell for ten to twenty times more than the street price.
In addition, while in jail detainees have used stolen credit card numbers to purchase high end products delivered directly to their family and friends amounting to tens of thousands of dollars in fraud.
Sometimes these crimes are stopped successfully through investigations by the proper authorities.
Today, however, lawlessness prevails on Rikers Island because there is virtually no deterrent and little criminal prosecution of incarcerated persons who commit crimes. Crime fighting and proactive strategies no longer exist in NYC jails.
Jail crimes that benefit the gang should be prosecuted in accordance with the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, RICO. Since its inception in 1970, RICO prosecutions have been successful in dismantling criminal gangs.
Eliminating the gang control of Rikers would significantly reduce crime, violence, drug trafficking and drug overdoses resulting in a much safer environment for both the incarcerated population and correction officers. However, it appears that DOC and prosecutors do not have any intention of aggressively combating jail crime.
As a comparison, consider that the Suffolk County Jail in Long Island led by Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr., who assumed office in 2018, has had only one detainee slashing in six years under his outstanding leadership. Prior to his election to Sheriff, Dr. Toulon was a Deputy Commissioner in NYC DOC from 2014-2016. According to the Mayor’s Management Report in that time period, under Toulon’s leadership, there were 3,328 jail-based arrests of individuals in custody. By comparison, in 2020, 2021 and 2022, under his successor, there were only 637 jail based arrests, five times less. After Dr. Toulon’s departure from NYC DOC, jail violence increased to about four times that of 2014-2016.
It appears to be clear that judicious law enforcement and crime fighting strategies are effective.
Instead, in NYC DOC the current laissez-faire law enforcement philosophy has resulted in a skyrocketing increase in jail crime and detainee violence.
In NYC prisons gang members are almost encouraged to commit crimes because of the lack of both deterrence and criminal prosecutions.
