Filed Under Rikers Timeline
1927: State Commission of Correction Publishes Report
" The State Commission of Correction condemns the city’s plans to build faciities on Rikers Island due to the use of the island as a landfill. The report describes piles of refuse towering over the construction site, the constant presence of burning trash prone to spontaneous combustion, swarms of flies, and a rat infestation. Moreover, the Commission reports, incarcerated workers are housed in facilities built twenty years prior as temporary buildings that still do not have proper plumbing or heating. New York City officials ignore this recommendation and proceed with their plans. Creator: This timeline is a collaboration between visual artist Isaac Scott and historian Dr. Shana Russell. Date: 1927
The State Commission of Correction condemns the city’s plans to build faciities on Rikers Island due to the use of the island as a landfill. The report describes piles of refuse towering over the construction site, the constant presence of burning trash prone to spontaneous combustion, swarms of flies, and a rat infestation. Moreover, the Commission reports, incarcerated workers are housed in facilities built twenty years prior as temporary buildings that still do not have proper plumbing or heating. New York City officials ignore this recommendation and proceed with their plans.