Rikers Island and Mental Health: Pathways Toward Community-Based Diversion and Jail Population Reduction. By Michael Rempel, Krystal Rodriguez, and Kellyann Bock (Data Collaborative for Justice); Yonah Zeitz, gabriel sayegh, and Melanie Dominguez (Katal Center for Equity, Health, & Justice). November 2025
As New York City works toward its mandate to close Rikers Island, addressing the mental health needs of people detained in the jail system remains a central challenge—and a defining opportunity for reform. Developed by the Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay College and the Katal Center for Equity, Health, & Justice, this report brings together the latest mental health data for people held at Rikers, lived-experience insights from directly impacted people, and a 15-point plan to create a more effective and humane path forward.
