According to a study from Comptroller Brad Lander's office, court delays are resulting in extended stays at Rikers Island, exceeding the required duration. This is resulting in the wastage of millions of taxpayer dollars and posing a threat to the city's strategy of replacing its correctional facilities with more compassionate alternatives.

Correction Department Bus.Photo byTom Link From Flikr

Lander's office analyzed around 111,000 cases involving individuals released from city custody between 2019 and 2023. According to the research, there was a 179% increase in the number of felony cases that took longer than three years to be resolved. Additionally, the time it took to conclude a murder case jumped to approximately two years and three months.

The research ascribed the delays to pandemic limitations, which decelerated court procedures, and recent state law modifications that require a more comprehensive sharing of evidence between police, prosecutors, and defense counsel.

Various Factors Causing Court Delays

In a recent article in the policy journal Vital City, New York's top administrative judge, Joseph A. Zayas, listed several things that cause court delays.

One significant factor he highlighted was a "post-pandemic malaise," which resulted in lawyers frequently seeking to postpone trials for extended periods. The implementation of new legislation on the sharing of evidence has led to notable difficulties in effectively managing legal cases, as stated by the author.

The Jail Population Data

According to a dashboard from the comptroller's office, the jail population in New York City decreased to below 4,000 in 2020 and has currently risen to 6,351. According to NYPD data, the arrest rate has risen throughout Mayor Eric Adams' tenure.

The majority of individuals detained in city jails have been accused but have not yet been found guilty of committing crimes. The present number of detainees is still far lower than the peak of 21,000 in 1990.

However, it is still too high to completely shift to the four new jails in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, which are planned to replace all of Rikers' facilities within three years. This is because the intended capacity of the correctional facilities is only 4,160.

The Process of Transferring Detainees Through The Judicial System

Lander expressed that expediting the process of transferring detainees through the judicial system, resulting in either their release or incarceration, would enhance the likelihood of the Rikers closure plan's success. According to his analysis, a reduction in case processing time by four weeks might result in a drop of 1,215 beds required at Rikers Island.

The analysis discovered that if the city adhered to the deadlines established by the National Center for State Courts for resolving criminal cases, it could significantly decrease the jail population, hence increasing the likelihood of successfully closing Rikers. According to the comptroller's office, the city is projected to save a maximum of $877 million.