NYC To Release ‘Worst Kind Criminals’ From Rikers Jail Early Over Officer Shortage – By Dane Enerio (IB Times) / Sept 7 2021
- Rikers Island is set to prematurely release another batch of inmates due to a shortage of corrections officers
- A law enforcement source said only the “worst kind criminals” were left in the jail
- Jail officers have complained about the prison’s working conditions, which had forced many to leave
New York City’s Rikers Island is set to prematurely release scores of inmates, including those described as the “worst kind criminals,” due to a shortage of corrections officers.
The early release of the offenders was set to start Thursday, but it was delayed when the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the city and killed 13 people, the New York Post reported, citing unnamed law enforcement sources.
“[Mayor Bill de Blasio] wants to close Rikers and he will use any opportunity to release the prisoners… He is leaving in three-plus months and he wants to release as many prisoners as he can,” one source was quoted as saying.
Officials have not released the names of those set for early release as they claimed de Blasio “doesn’t want the pushback that he got last time when he released dangerous felons,” according to a source.
