New York's Rikers Island jail is a constant disaster. Like NYPD, scandals bring short-lived reforms and the problems re-emerge. According to the NY Times, city investigators found that numerous high-risk individuals were employed. Some used political connections. The problem is not going to get better as long as this persists. Heaven forbid that the pay and qualifications should be raised.
"In a review of 153 applications of people the Correction Department recently hired, city investigators found that more than one-third had problems that either should have disqualified them or needed further scrutiny. Ten had been arrested more than once, and 12 had previously been rejected by the New York Police Department, six of them for “psychological reasons”, among other issues. Additionally, 79 had relatives or friends who were current or former inmates, a potential security threat, officials said.
Document: Report on New York City Jails’ Hiring Practices
The investigation found hiring practices to be in disarray: There was no screening for gang affiliation; most of the application process was not computerized; and employment screeners did not monitor phone calls between inmates and applicants.
Not even the deputy commissioner who oversaw hiring could explain how the evaluation system worked.
The findings underscore the profound dysfunction at Rikers Island and help explain how a culture of violence and corruption has come to flourish in the city jails.
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