Do sixteen and seventeen year olds belong on Rikers Island? That's a serious question City Hall is now asking. It comes as the Department of Correction attempts to develop a plan on how to manage young adults at city jails — a population which happens to be the most violent.

On Tuesday, there were 200 sixteen and seventeen-year-old inmates on Rikers Island.

But that might not be the case for long.

"There has been a great deal of discussions," said Department of Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte. "I just can't publicly say as of this point. I am confident that the mayor's office and us are moving towards that end."

The Department of Correction is discussing moving 16-and 17-year-old inmates off of Rikers Island to a new location that has yet to be disclosed.

The move was sparked by a settlement last summer, which created a court appointed monitor for Rikers Island. The monitor suggested the city move younger inmates off of the secluded jail complex.

And now, it sounds like, those discussions have become more serious.

"We are having pretty robust discussion on how to do that," Commissioner Ponte. "It's obviously a complicated issue. There is a lot involved and a lot of players that need to be consulted for the plan."

While these inmates are a small fraction of the island's ten thousand inmates, their mere existence has generated controversy.

For one, the U.S. Attorney found this population was a victim of systemic abuse.

Which, City Hall, argues it is committed to fixing.

When we asked about moving adolescents off of the island, we got his statement:

"This administration’s long-standing pledge to improve conditions on Rikers includes a commitment to make best efforts to move young adults off the island — which was reaffirmed in the Nunez settlement. The city is working with the Department of Correction to explore options."

The question is where would all of these 16 and 17 year olds go? We asked the commissioner and he said it is under discussion.

"We are having robust discussions on how to do that," Ponte said.

This discussion came as the Board of Correction approved a delay in implementation the city's plan for young adults on Rikers. That plan would move all 18 to 21 year olds under one roof and eliminate solitary confinement for them.

The implementation of that has been put off for as much as six months.