| Owner | Federal Government | Established | 1932 (original founding) 2020 (refounding) |
| Purpose | Prison Complex | ||
| Status | Operational; 24/7 | ||
Rikers Island is a 413.17-acre island in the East River between Jackson Heights and the Ruins of the Bronx that is home to the New York City Safe Zone's only jail complex. The island is politically part of the Jackson Heights, though was once considered part of the Bronx prior to the Second American Civil War and the founding of the Safe Zone.
Prior to the civil war, the island was home to one of the world's largest correctional institutions and mental institutions and has since been repurposed to serve as a sprawling correctional complex for both SLC-Expressive and Non-Expressive prisoners. The complex is currently operated by the US Department of Corrections in association with the SLC-Expressive Services Agency (SESA). The majority (85%) of detainees are pretrial defendants, either held on bail or remanded in custody. The rest of the population have been convicted and are serving short sentences.
At present only 30% of the facilities on Rikers' Island are in operational state and the gradual rollout for expanded facilities is expected to continue through 2030 as the Safe Zone is slowly expanded.
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