Lifestyle

What life is really like in Rikers Island

It’s a short trip across a bridge to get to a 413-acre parcel of landfill — Rikers Island, New York City’s most notorious lockup — situated like a 19th-century penal colony in the middle of the East River. Ranked as one of the 10 worst correctional facilities in the US, inmates there await being shipped to a federal prison for long stretches, or are short-timers doing what’s called “City Time.”

Even amid talks of its reform, Rikers Island remains a bastion of violance and illegality. Leonardo Munoz

One former Rikers resident, the disgraced septuagenarian film producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, who had been awaiting trial on sex crimes charges, claimed the Big Apple’s pen was rotten to the core. He sued the city in November for $5 million, charging “deplorable conditions” there where he feared for his life.

Now David Campbell and Jarrod Shanahan — both of whom spent time in Rikers — have collaborated to write “City Time, On Being Sentenced to Rikers Island,” (New York University Press), an expose about life at the nearly century-old Rikers, the island that once served as a military training ground during the Civil War, and today has a view of LaGuardia’s runways and the Mets home ground, Citi Field.

Rikers is spread over 413 acres and is considered one of the 10 worst correction facilities in the US. REUTERS

Arrested at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2016, Shanahan served a brief Rikers sentence and wrote a historical study of the prison after his release, while Campbell, convicted in 2018 of “brawling” at an anti-fascist protest, served a year of city time.  Their book reveals first-hand accounts of the brutality and banality of everyday Rikers life.

 “The violence and utter meaninglessness of short-stay incarceration is reflected in every facet of city time. The crushing boredom that suffuses daily life is symptomatic of a social order that simply has no use for the people locked up there — in a dangerous, disgusting place that will leave them worse off than when they entered,” write the authors.

Both college-educated and heterosexual, they luckily avoided the violence that accompanies Rikers trans and gay sexual subculture. But becoming inmates assigned a prison number and jailhouse garb was bad enough — making them feel “loss and mortification.”

With conventional cigarettes almost impossible to score, inmates at Rikers fashion their own from the pages of old bibles. Getty Images

On day one, recall the authors, Rikers’ intake area consisted of filthy pens where new prisoners were herded in next to putrid and non-flushable toilets, along with the sickly polluted air — “odors of sweat, feet, piss, shit, burps, farts and bleach.” Stripping to their underwear, Shanahan and Campbell, like all other Rikers’ guests, had to hover over a chair that could detect metal contraband stored internally — that’s even before the actual physical strip search began.

Inmates must then change into ill-fitting forest green jumpsuits and flat-bottomed Velcro footwear before being escorted into the intake dormitory furnished with stationary single beds with deflated, flimsy mattresses. There are 28 rectangular dormitories in all containing a total of 1,850 beds — “massive open rooms,” write the authors. Each dormitory is the size of a basketball court — with both crawling cockroaches as well as correctional officers patrolling the perimeter.

The synthetic marijuana known as K2 is in high demand in Rikers. Tribune News Service via Getty Images

A 6-foot-wide corridor dubbed “Broadway” bisects the dorm with six rows of rusted iron bed frames three feet apart and bolted to the floor on either side of the main thoroughfare. Limited hygiene standards prohibited naked showering and inmates are required to cover themselves when using the toilet. Foul odors and grotesque sights only add to the loss of privacy.

Racial and ethnic tensions simmered unchecked, but gang members help correctional officers keep temperatures down. With so many inmates serving time for stealing, the dorms’ population felt to the authors like a convention of boosters.

They describe how one inmate had been caught lifting nail polish from CVS in large quantities and then selling it to a Chinatown nail salon. Another recounted filling his bag with Haagen-Daz in a Midtown Manhattan market and selling it to bodegas in Harlem for two dollars a carton. Duane Reade’s surveillance footage nailed him stealing more than $1,000 worth and he was charged with grand theft. To him, however, Rikers was like a stay at The Ritz — he normally lived at a dangerously crime-riddled New York homeless shelter.

Harvey Weinstein, one of many high-profile former Rikers inmates. Steven Hirsch

“Unsanitary conditions are the law of the land on Rikers,” write the authors. Meals were barely edible. Mold, roaches and even decomposing mice often ended up on dinner trays. Bread, bone dry and tasteless, was set on the table wrapped in white paper chewed by mice, and rats lived in the kitchen along with a squirrel inhabiting one of the bread-making machines. Chicken, either undercooked or overcooked, produced diarrhea, and water in the kitchen sometimes ran brown or black.

Sex — or the lack of it — is on everyone’s mind at Rikers, writes the authors, and gossip often spreads about sex with female correctional officers. The now strict rule of wearing underwear while bathing recalled instances of furtive sexual activity in the showers.

Drugs are also rampant.

K2, which mimics THC, is easily smuggled into Rikers — as is heroin, which can be sprayed on a sheet of paper mailed in an envelope — being colorless, odorless, tasteless. Tobacco is second in popularity with a pack of cigarettes selling for as much as $1,000. Tobacco rolled in a page from the Bible and the width of a match sells for $10-$20, the authors reveal.

Along with professional shoplifters, the authors’ fellow inmates ranged from bank robbers, drunk drivers, wife beaters, drug dealers, felony assaulters, and various types of petty criminals. Half of the 6,000 inmates usually served 30-days or less of city time mostly for theft and drug possession.

“These tragic men were caught in an unending cycle of poverty, substance abuse, mental illness and bad decisions, whose only agenda seemed to escape reality by getting high and supporting this habit by any means necessary,” write the authors. And they only got out of bed for their daily dose of methadone. 

And there were the violent gang members — Crips, Bloods, Latin Kings, and the Folk Nation. “There is little to do in Rikers in comparison to state prisons, and finding creative ways to stave off the ever-encroaching boredom and cabin fever quickly becomes a priority,” write the authors.

Author Jarrod Shanahan

How to make the time tolerable and go by quickly is the name of the card game, playing spades and rummy. Dice, banned at Rikers, are crafted from soap and toilet paper.

The authors soon learned that the most popular books coming through the mail featured graphic drug dealing, violence, and sex. Pocket bibles supplied rolling papers for weed instead of God’s word. The Post proved popular for news on the outside, read by guards and then salvaged from the trash by inmates. 

As with the inmates, there are strict rules for Rikers’ visitors, write the authors. Rikers’ visitors are subjected to invasive searches by aggressive correction officers for smuggled contraband, and inmates are ordered to cease and desist from groping.

Co-author David Campbell

Despite endless city efforts at reform, existence in these crowded city time dormitories is hellish and toxic. Around the clock, there is the threat of violence, the lack of privacy, the incessant open air bodily functions and inherent foul odors, and the constant grotesque sights. As the authors observe, life in Rikers is “a ceaseless dull irritation and always threatening to explode.”

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top