New York City’s public advocate is pressing the mayor to investigate allegations of sexual abuse on Rikers Island.
At a Board of Correction hearing earlier this week, Jumaane Williams cited Gothamist’s reporting on more than 700 lawsuits from women who said they were sexually assaulted while in city custody.
“This is, I hope everyone agrees, unacceptable, unconscionable, and the city must take swift action to ensure that nobody experiences sexual harassment or assault or rape in our jails,” he told the board, which oversees the city’s jail system.
Williams said Mayor Eric Adams has a moral and legal obligation to look into these complaints, noting the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act requires quick action when officials receive reports of sexual abuse behind bars. He also said the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution is supposed to protect people in jail from “cruel and unusual punishment.”
“The administration’s lack of urgency in addressing this or any other problem impacting incarcerated New Yorkers is deeply concerning,” Williams said. “We must continue speaking loudly about the culture of abuse on Rikers and not allow the mayor and [Department of Correction] to sweep this under the rug.”
Mayor Eric Adams called for a “thorough investigation” into the lawsuits after Gothamist published its first story in March. But since then, he’s left that responsibility to the Law Department, which is defending the city against the allegations in court.
Williams said the investigation should be independent, because incarcerated people often fear retaliation. Councilmember Sandy Nurse, who chairs the Committee on Criminal Justice, has also urged the mayor to assemble a task force or hire an outside firm to review the allegations.
Spokespeople for the mayor’s office and the Department of Correction did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.
For months, Gothamist has been reporting on 719 lawsuits filed by former detainees who said they were sexually abused while incarcerated on Rikers. After reviewing each lawsuit and speaking with plaintiffs, reporters identified patterns of allegations that appeared in various complaints.
More than 300 lawsuits alleged officers traded contraband like perfume and drugs for sex, about 70 described officers watching or assaulting detainees in the shower, and more than 30 accused health care providers of sexually assaulting women during medical appointments.
Gothamist has also identified a former officer facing allegations in two-dozen lawsuits and a handful of accused guards who still work in city jails. One current officer was recently charged with an off-duty rape. All of the current and former officers that Gothamist contacted have denied wrongdoing.
The Department of Correction has said it has a “zero-tolerance” policy for sexual assault and harassment.