The city announces a major milestone in closing Rikers Island by permanently transferring the North Infirmary Command (NIC) and substantial portions of the George Motchan Detention Center (GMDC) and Anna M. Kross Center (AMKC) from the Department of Correction to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

Mayor Mamdani frames the transfer as a step toward a borough-based jail system and a broader effort to finish closing Rikers.

DCAS notes potential future uses for the transferred sites, including sustainable infrastructure and other public purposes aligned with the city’s long-term needs.

City leaders, advocates, and community groups stress the moral imperative to close Rikers, reduce the jail population, and invest in housing, mental health, and supportive services.

The transfer builds on an earlier step in the closure plan, the Outposted Therapeutic Housing Unit at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, opened in spring as part of the strategy.

Officials describe the move as finishing the Rikers closure and accelerating planning for its future use, including decarceration and community-based solutions.

Historical context: NIC opened in 1932 and housed inmates with acute medical needs; GMDC opened in 1971 and ceased housing inmates in 2018; AMKC opened in 1978 and stopped housing detainees in 2023, with current transfers not housing people in custody.

Earlier transfers, such as the James A. Thomas Center and land parcels to DCAS in 2021, show ongoing planning for Rikers’ future and its ultimate closure.

This marks the first from DOC to DCAS transfers since 2021 and aligns with reducing Rikers’ footprint and replacing it with a smaller, safer, and more humane borough-based system.

Mayor Mamdani emphasizes a shift from neglectful governance to a rehabilitation- and dignity-centered system, reducing incarceration and improving public safety.

Officials highlight coordinated actions across city agencies and outline upcoming steps, including planning for sustainable infrastructure and potential future uses of the transferred sites.

The NIC is permanently closed and transferred to DCAS, with large portions of GMDC and AMKC moved as well; none of the transferred facilities currently house people in custody.