Two orders direct compliance with Board of Corrections standards and city shelter laws within 45 days
Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed two emergency executive orders directing city agencies to develop comprehensive compliance plans addressing longstanding violations of jail and shelter standards. The orders represent immediate action on reform promises made during the campaign and highlight the complexity of managing facilities inherited from the previous administration. Emergency Executive Order One requires the Department of Correction and Law Department to develop a plan within 45 days bringing Rikers Island into compliance with the Board of Corrections Minimum Standards. The order specifically directs work with the federal monitor and all parties in the Nunez v. City of New York lawsuit to implement Local Law 42 banning solitary confinement.
Addressing Rikers Island Conditions
Rikers Island has operated for decades as a troubling symbol of systemic failure in the American criminal justice system. Investigations documented horrific conditions including violence, inadequate medical care, overcrowding, and the widespread use of isolation units that medical professionals characterize as torturous. The previous Adams administration resisted compliance with legal obligations despite court orders, prompting federal oversight and ongoing litigation. The new mayor acknowledged these failures directly, stating that the previous administration’s refusal to meet legal obligations left troubling conditions that will take time to resolve.
The Nunez Case and Solitary Confinement Ban
Nunez v. City of New York represents a landmark class action lawsuit challenging conditions on Rikers and specifically the use of solitary confinement. The City Council passed Local Law 42 implementing a solitary confinement ban, but the previous administration sought to block implementation. Mamdani’s order reverses that approach and commits to working with the federal monitor to end solitary confinement as promised. This dramatic policy shift signals fundamental reorientation of the administration’s approach to incarceration and conditions.
Emergency Shelter Law Compliance
Emergency Executive Order Two directs the Law Department and Department of Social Services to develop a compliance plan within 45 days addressing city shelter laws. The order ends suspension of health and safety codes, building codes, and land use rules that had been suspended to open emergency migrant shelters. Specifically, shelters must include cooking facilities for families with children and respect capacity limits on adult shelters. The order acknowledges that the shelter system, expanded rapidly in response to migrant arrivals, had violated basic legal requirements and standards meant to protect vulnerable residents.
Balancing Humanitarian Concerns with Legal Obligations
The Mamdani administration faces the challenge of simultaneously improving conditions for shelter residents while operating within legal standards and fiscal constraints. Shelter operators must install cooking facilities, ensure adequate space per resident, and maintain health and safety codes. Meeting these requirements while serving vulnerable populations requires sustained investment and commitment. The orders signal that the administration will not repeat the previous approach of suspending standards to expand capacity, instead seeking balanced solutions respecting both humanitarian obligations and legal requirements.
Compliance Timeline and Implementation
Forty-five-day timelines for developing compliance plans reflect urgency while acknowledging complexity. Agencies must assess current conditions, identify necessary improvements, develop feasible implementation strategies, and allocate resources. The Department of Correction faces particular challenges given Rikers’ physical conditions and staffing issues. The Department of Social Services must coordinate with shelter operators to implement new standards. Both agencies will need adequate funding to meet these demands. Learn more about criminal justice reform from Vera Institute of Justice resources, Prison Policy Initiative research, and NYC Department of Correction information.
