Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will announce a proposal on Wednesday to scrap the plan to close the Rikers Island jail complex, saying he would rebuild the jails and not relocate detainees to new borough-based jail facilities.
Mr. Cuomo, who is running for mayor of New York City as a third-party candidate, said he would convert the four borough-based sites into affordable housing projects, and remake Rikers into a “modern, humane correctional campus.”
“We can and must do both things at once: Close Rikers as we know it, and rebuild it the right way,” Mr. Cuomo said in a statement.
The city is required by law to close the notoriously troubled jail complex by August 2027 and replace it with four borough-based facilities. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor who beat Mr. Cuomo in the Democratic primary, supports closing the complex and creating new jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
The jail complex has been plagued by violence, dysfunction and death. Twelve people have died in city jails this year, including a man being held at Rikers Island who apparently suffered a seizure last month. In May, a federal judge ordered that an outside official be appointed to oversee operations on Rikers.
When the City Council voted in 2019 to close Rikers Island, it intended to have the four smaller borough-based jails be more humane and closer to detainees’ lawyers and families. Bill de Blasio, who was mayor at the time, backed the plan.
But in the ensuing years, the plan lost momentum. Construction on the new jails has stalled, and the estimated costs rose to $15.5 billion from an estimated $8.7 billion. The jail population has also grown, to around 6,500, while the new jails are to have only about 4,500 beds.
Mayor Eric Adams has expressed concerns about closing Rikers Island and called on the Council to find an alternative plan.
Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate who is in third place in polls, has fiercely opposed the borough-based jail plan. He told The New York Times earlier this year that the new jails would be a burden for neighborhoods.
“Instead, I’ll improve conditions, increase staff and ensure violent criminals stay detained,” he said. “The focus should be on making Rikers safer and more functional.”
Even supporters of the plan to shutter Rikers have acknowledged that it will not close by 2027. The next mayor will likely have to work with the Council to amend the plan and to set a new schedule.
Mr. Mamdani told The Times in March that he wanted to adhere to the 2027 timeline to close Rikers Island, adding that the city needed to take steps to reduce the jail population.
“Our only chance to close Rikers on time — and ensure that the borough-based jails aren’t immediately overwhelmed — is to expand proven alternatives to incarceration,” Mr. Mamdani said. “This includes investing in mental health outreach and services, substance use treatment, supportive housing and restorative justice processes, all of which are also proven to reduce recidivism.”
Mr. Cuomo wants to demolish the current facilities on the island and replace them one at a time, comparing the approach to his rebuilding of LaGuardia Airport in Queens as governor. He said the new jails would be smaller and filled with light.
And by proposing to turn the borough-based jails into affordable housing, Mr. Cuomo took a swing at addressing one of the top issues in the race.
“Instead of building four massive jails in the middle of residential blocks, we can partner with local communities to reimagine those sites for affordable housing, mixed-use development, and neighborhood renewal,” he said.
Mr. Cuomo also proposed creating express bus routes from each borough to Rikers Island to make visiting easier. But changing the plan to close Rikers Island would require support from the City Council.
The proposal to keep Rikers Island open may help Mr. Cuomo, who trails Mr. Mamdani in recent polls, attract support from moderate and conservative voters who oppose closing Rikers Island and are concerned about crime.
Rikers occupies a 415-acre island, most of it landfill, in the East River between Queens and the Bronx. It opened as a jail in 1932, and abysmal conditions inside the buildings have been flagged repeatedly in court filings, inspection reports and other city records since the 1970s.