Governor Hochul and Mayor De Blasio Announce Agreement to Transfer Incarcerated Women and Trans Individuals Out of Rikers

Today, to address the ongoing situation on Rikers Island, Governor Kathy Hochul, in partnership with Mayor Bill de Blasio, announced an agreement between the State and City of New York to transfer nearly all of women- and trans-identified individuals currently incarcerated on Rikers Island to two State-run facilities in Bedford Hills, Westchester County, the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility (Bedford) and the Taconic Correctional Facility (Taconic), both operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).

This agreement to temporarily transfer approximately 230 individuals into State settings builds on Governor Hochul’s recent signature of the Less is More Act, which will prevent unnecessary detentions at Rikers, into law, as well as the Governor’s Executive Order that expanded remote hearings for detainees and will ultimately help to reduce the amount of time detainees must spend at Rikers.

Source: The Office of Governor Kathy Hochul