Gov. Kathy Hochul has formally declared a state of emergency on Rikers Island.
Hochul signed the executive order Tuesday, granting a temporary change in the state's criminal procedure law in order to allow the use of virtual court appearances. The order comes weeks after lawmakers and defenders have reported detainees on the island are routinely missing court appointments as a result of a staffing shortage at the city’s Department of Correction.
State Senator Jessica Ramos, who spoke with NY1 shortly after a visit to the facility on Tuesday, said some things have begun to improve, but stressed detainees are still unable to access their lawyers in a timely fashion.
"People are still not being able to reach their loved ones regularly," Ramos said. "They're missing their court dates and that's very concerning in terms of the constitutional rights of New Yorkers who are being held on Rikers Island."
The governor's order, however, is one measure of relief welcomed by lawmakers who say more cooperation is needed across different levels of government.
"Ultimately, we need judges and district attorneys to do their job and play their role, make sure that they're not setting high bail," Ramos said.
To that end, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance issued a new directive to his office days after several reports showed prosecutors are still asking for high bail and sending people into the troubled facilities.
In a memo sent to the trial division, Assistant D.A. Andrew Warshawer, deputy chief of the Trial Division, cited conditions on the island and said the office will no longer request bail on certain crimes.
"We have decided, for the reasons set forth in the memo sent yesterday, to suspend asking for bail on non-violent crimes committed by non-violent offenders, in circumstances that do not implicate the safety of other people," Warshawer wrote.
For now, Vance's office is suspending asking for bail on non-violent crimes committed by non-violent offenders in incidents that do not implicate the safety of other people.
Meanwhile at Rikers, some level of improvement has been reported this week.
The Otis Bantum Correctional Center (OBCC), an intake facility which for weeks had been plagued with issues of overcrowding, unhygienic conditions and lack of basic services like running water and working toilets, has been closed and detainees have moved to a larger unit.
"Hygiene has improved tremendously, so when I was there a week or two ago and saw all of the guck, rotten food, feces, dead roaches on the ground, that has now been cleaned up at OBCC. There is a fresh coat of paint and there is no one being held there at the moment," Ramos said.
That same facility was toured by de Blasio on Monday. Despite not speaking with correction officers or detainees during his visit, de Blasio said he's focused on his administration's response.
"I don't need to be reminded of something I already know," de Blasio told reporters during his daily briefing at City Hall. "We'll make every investment to make it better in the short term.”
Some of those investments were requested by Steve J. Martin, the federal monitor for Rikers Island.
In documents filed to the court Tuesday afternoon, the city agreed to some of Martin's recommendations, agreeing to draft a new security plan, adequately staff camera monitoring units, notify staff about their obligation to prevent incidents of self harm and retain an outside consultant to help with gang affiliated housing designation.
Less clear is whether the city will agree to bring in an outside security consultant to take over security operations. A judge must still decide if they accept the city's offer.