Prior to being purchased by new york city in 1884, rikers island was owned by a prominent dutch family, the rikers (formerly rycken). Detainees regularly obtain drugs and weapons, violence is rampant, and deaths in custody are … Β· rikers island prison, colloquially called rikers, is the main prison compound of new york city, located on rikers island between the burroughs of queens and the bronx. The family’s most well-known descendant, richard riker, … Β· now increased to a size of more than 400 acres (162 hectares), rikers island has been since 1935 the site of a city penitentiary that was relocated from welfare (now roosevelt) island. Rikers island is a 413-acre (167. 14-hectare) [2][3] prison island in the east river in the bronx, new york, united states, [4] that contains new york city s largest jail. The island is located … Β· a federal judge on tuesday officially seized control of rikers island from new york city, ordering the appointment of an independent manager to oversee the notorious jail complex that has … Β· rikers’ visitors are subjected to invasive searches by aggressive correction officers for smuggled contraband, and inmates are ordered to cease and desist from groping. In us parlance, rikers island is technically a jail rather than a prison, since it only houses inmates on remand, serving short sentences, or awaiting transfer to another facility. Rikers island has had a reputation for violence, physical and mental abuse and neglect of its inmates, and has attracted press and judicial scrutiny that has resulted in numerous rulings against the new … Β· on march 19, the second iteration of the independent rikers commission chaired by former chief judge jonathan lippman released its long-awaited report on how to best close rikers. Β· rikers has been a mismanaged, dangerous, and inhumane detention center for years now.