New York's Floating Prison Heads to Louisiana as Critics Scorn It as a "Modern-Day Slave Ship"
A 625-foot-long floating jail that had been docked off the coast of the South Bronx for nearly three decades has finally set sail, bound for scrap in Louisiana. The Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, which was once touted as a solution to overcrowding on Rikers Island, is now being hailed by some as a symbol of systemic failure and racial injustice.
The facility's demolition was met with widespread criticism from reformers, who say it represents the worst excesses of New York City's criminal justice system. "It leaves New York City 33 years later, having caged tens of thousands of people unable to afford bail – mostly Black and brown men – for months and sometimes years while awaiting trial," said Juval O. Scott, executive director of the Bronx Defenders.
Scott's comments echoed those of Councilmember Rafael Salamanca Jr., who welcomed the departure of the jail with a nod towards change. "A barge that symbolized neglect, suffering, and the city's failure to deliver justice now drifts into history," he said.
The facility was built at a cost of $161 million, a price tag that sparked outrage among critics. Detainees on the barge have also died in custody, further cementing its notorious reputation.
Despite promises from city officials to move freight traffic away from trucks and onto cargo boats, the removal of the floating jail marks the latest delay in the construction of new borough-based jails to replace Rikers Island.
The facility was originally supposed to sail down the East River before being rerouted eastward along the Long Island Sound due to weather and vessel traffic. Tugboats will take over two weeks to move the barge to its final destination, where it will be scrapped for parts.
While some officials are touting the removal of the jail as a step towards change, others see it as little more than a cosmetic fix that doesn't address the systemic issues plaguing New York City's justice system. The legacy of the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center is complex and contentious, with many questioning whether its departure will truly mark an end to the city's failures in delivering justice to marginalized communities.
A 625-foot-long floating jail that had been docked off the coast of the South Bronx for nearly three decades has finally set sail, bound for scrap in Louisiana. The Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, which was once touted as a solution to overcrowding on Rikers Island, is now being hailed by some as a symbol of systemic failure and racial injustice.
The facility's demolition was met with widespread criticism from reformers, who say it represents the worst excesses of New York City's criminal justice system. "It leaves New York City 33 years later, having caged tens of thousands of people unable to afford bail – mostly Black and brown men – for months and sometimes years while awaiting trial," said Juval O. Scott, executive director of the Bronx Defenders.
Scott's comments echoed those of Councilmember Rafael Salamanca Jr., who welcomed the departure of the jail with a nod towards change. "A barge that symbolized neglect, suffering, and the city's failure to deliver justice now drifts into history," he said.
The facility was built at a cost of $161 million, a price tag that sparked outrage among critics. Detainees on the barge have also died in custody, further cementing its notorious reputation.
Despite promises from city officials to move freight traffic away from trucks and onto cargo boats, the removal of the floating jail marks the latest delay in the construction of new borough-based jails to replace Rikers Island.
The facility was originally supposed to sail down the East River before being rerouted eastward along the Long Island Sound due to weather and vessel traffic. Tugboats will take over two weeks to move the barge to its final destination, where it will be scrapped for parts.
While some officials are touting the removal of the jail as a step towards change, others see it as little more than a cosmetic fix that doesn't address the systemic issues plaguing New York City's justice system. The legacy of the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center is complex and contentious, with many questioning whether its departure will truly mark an end to the city's failures in delivering justice to marginalized communities.
. Like, what's next? A bunch of old buses converted into mobile prisons just cruising around the city? 
The $161 million price tag is just wild too... that's like building a brand new public school or something. Anyway, I'm all for making Rikers Island a thing of the past, but this doesn't feel like a real fix to me 
. It feels like more of the same old broken system just being patched up with some cosmetic changes 
. And what's with the vagueness around when new jails are actually gonna be built? When can we expect that to happen? 
️! First of all, $161 million for a floating prison? That's like taking food outta the mouths of people on food stamps to build a luxury hotel for politicians 
. And don't even get me started on the state of New York City's justice system – it's a mess! We got Black and brown men languishing in jail for years, waiting for trials that might never come. That's systemic failure right there 
.
. We need real change, not just a Band-Aid solution. It's time for our city officials to get their acts together and fix this broken system once and for all 
.
. and what about all those lives lost in custody? does that get any attention? 
. this whole thing reeks of more empty promises from city officials 
.