Federal judge to reconsider takeover of New York City’s notorious Rikers Island jail

A federal judge is once again weighing a takeover of New York City’s troubled Rikers Island jail complex, describing her faith in its leadership as “shaken” following recent reports of violence, gruesome injuries and a lack of cooperation that has thwarted court oversight.

The emergency court hearing on Tuesday came after a federal monitor overseeing the jails system outlined a pattern of disturbing incidents — including detainee deaths and grave injuries — that jail officials failed to report as required last month.

The monitor, Steve Martin, said the city’s jails commissioner also personally lobbied him not to publicly release a report on those findings, claiming it would “fuel the flames of those who believe we cannot govern ourselves.”

In response, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered attorneys for both detainees and the city to formally discuss a potential receivership structure, an extraordinary intervention that would end New York City’s control over one of the nation’s largest and most famous jails. Swain said she would consider the proposal in August.

She also ordered the city to notify the monitor immediately anytime someone dies or suffers a serious injury in custody, rebuking jail officials for flouting reporting requirements put in place following a 2015 federal consent decree.

“I find that it is unfortunately necessary to clarify and underscore the responsibilities that have been imposed by orders that have been in place for years,” she said during the three-hour video hearing.

Advocates for detainees say a federal receivership is necessary to stem the violence on Rikers Island, where 19 people died last year, the highest number in a quarter of a century. In November, the judge rejected calls for a receiver, allowing the city more time to undertake promised reforms.

Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly touted the success of those efforts, pointing to a reduction in slashings and…