# Rikers jail misses 2027 closure deadline

> New York’s Rikers Island jail will not close by 2027 despite promises to replace it with smaller facilities.
- Title: Rikers jail misses 2027 closure deadline · The Straits Times
- Summary: New York’s Rikers Island jail will not close by 2027 despite promises to replace it with smaller facilities. New York’s Rikers Island jail misses 2027…
- Keywords: new york, rikers island, bill deblasio, zohran mamdani, vera institute of justice, pretrial justice, news, world, Rikers, jail, misses, 2027
- Source: The Straits Times — https://straitstimes.com/world/united-states/new-yorks-notorious-rikers-jail-awaits-elusive-closure
- Published: 2026-10-12T02:20:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: new york, rikers island, bill deblasio, zohran mamdani, vera institute of justice, pretrial justice, news, world
## Rikers Island jail closure deadline
New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail will miss 2027 closure deadline despite former mayor Bill de Blasio’s pledge.
## Rikers history and issues
Opened in 1932, Rikers housed John Lennon’s killer, Tupac Shakur, and Sid Vicious and faces unsanitary and violent conditions.
## Current closure efforts
Mayor Zohran Mamdani supports closing Rikers but acknowledges city will not meet 2027 deadline for the jail’s shutdown.
## Pretrial justice transformation
Dana Kaplan, overseeing closure efforts, says Rikers closure is part of transforming New York’s pretrial justice system.
## Rikers closure challenges
Rikers has 6,500 inmates and faces broken cell doors, staff shortages, and drug use issues.
## Future steps for Rikers
Activists and officials want repairs, reduced inmate population to 4,000, and better social programs for Rikers closure.
## Key takeaway

New York’s Rikers Island jail misses 2027 closure deadline as construction of smaller facilities lags behind schedule.