Delayed Bellevue Jail Unit to Open as Rikers Med Facility is Shut

After years of delays and cost overruns, the city plans to finally open part of a quarter-billion dollar unit at Bellevue Hospital for seriously ill detainees on Rikers Island. The Mamdani administration also plans to close the North Infirmary Command (NIC), the original Rikers Island hospital constructed in 1932. The NIC has been used to house high-profile detainees like disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein. As of March 10, there were 314 detainees in NIC, with an estimated 25 to be transferred to the new unit on Bellevue’s second floor. The remaining detainees will be transferred to different locations on Rikers.

The 104-bed Department of Correction unit, which has nearly doubled in cost, is years behind schedule. Its price tag climbed from $130 million to $241 million, according to Correctional Health Services, the NYC Health + Hospitals division that provides care to detainees. This works out to just over $2 million per bed, including recreation space, spread across much of the historic hospital’s second floor.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans to hold a press conference on Tuesday morning at Bellevue to announce the long-awaited partial opening of the new unit. A source familiar with the plan stated, “It’s going to open in phases.” The first phase is expected to be just around 25 beds.

The shortage of space at Bellevue raises concerns that patients with significant medical needs may be housed in general population units on Rikers, where they are often more vulnerable to other detainees and poor medical care. One veteran clinician working in the jail system told THE CITY, “Health care providers are scrambling to find beds.”

The closure of the North Infirmary Command and the delayed opening of the Bellevue unit highlight the ongoing challenges faced by the city’s correctional health system. As the number of seriously ill detainees continues to rise, the need for adequate medical facilities on Rikers Island remains critical. The partial opening of the Bellevue unit, though long overdue, represents a small step toward addressing these needs. However, the city must also consider the broader implications of housing sick detainees in general population units, where they may not receive the care they need.

The decision to close the North Infirmary Command and transfer detainees to Bellevue also raises questions about the future of Rikers Island itself. With the planned closure of the jail complex by 2029, the city must ensure that alternative medical facilities are in place to accommodate the needs of detainees. The delayed opening of the Bellevue unit serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in managing the city’s correctional health system and the urgent need for investment and planning to address these challenges.

In the meantime, the partial opening of the Bellevue unit offers a glimmer of hope for the detainees who will be transferred there. While it is far from ideal, the new facility represents a necessary step toward improving the medical care available to those incarcerated on Rikers Island. As the city continues to grapple with the challenges posed by its correctional health system, the Bellevue unit’s opening underscores the importance of perseverance and the need for continued investment in this critical area.