The citymeetings.nyc logo showing a pigeon at a podium with a microphone.

citymeetings.nyc

Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.

QUESTION

What percentage of Rikers Island’s population has serious mental health issues, and is it a record high?

3:34:34

·

3 min

The deputy commissioner for health affairs indicates 52-54% of Rikers Island's inmates have mental health issues, but he is uncertain if this is a record high.

  • The percentage of people with serious mental health issues at Rikers Island is approximately 52-54%.
  • The deputy commissioner is unsure whether this percentage constitutes a record high.
  • Council Member Lincoln Restler suggests based on his analysis, this is indeed a record high percentage.
  • There's a reported decrease in health visits by 30% year over year, raising concerns about the adequacy of health services.
  • The Department of Corrections commits to ensuring access to quality mental health services, but specific actions or improvements are not detailed.
Lincoln Restler
3:34:34
Next, health so percentage of people who have a serious health designation a serious mental health issue at Rykers.
3:34:42
Could you give me the current percentage?
3:34:46
55?
3:34:47
Just a number, please.
James Saunders
3:34:50
Hi.
3:34:51
James Saunders, deputy commissioner.
3:34:53
So approximately anywhere from 52 to 54 per sent.
Lincoln Restler
3:34:57
We saw over
James Saunders
3:34:58
Of of the population are known to mental health.
Lincoln Restler
3:35:01
Yes.
3:35:01
Just to see.
3:35:02
I I'm gone the clock, so I appreciate it.
3:35:03
I'm just looking for direct
James Saunders
3:35:04
20% of those have been diagnosed with the series mental illness.
Lincoln Restler
3:35:08
I appreciate it, sir.
3:35:08
I'm gonna keep going.
3:35:09
So over 54% is the current number as far as I understand.
3:35:13
That is a record high.
3:35:14
And as far as DOC have tracked this number.
3:35:17
Is that correct?
3:35:17
Yes or no.
James Saunders
3:35:18
That's an approximate.
3:35:19
No.
Lincoln Restler
3:35:19
No.
3:35:20
Not a record high.
James Saunders
3:35:21
No.
3:35:21
It's in it fluctuates.
3:35:22
Based on
Lincoln Restler
3:35:23
So 54 point something percent is not a record high.
3:35:26
We've we've surpassed those numbers in the past.
James Saunders
3:35:27
That I don't know.
3:35:28
I have Oh, so
Lincoln Restler
3:35:29
you're not saying no.
3:35:29
You're saying I don't know.
3:35:30
I just wanna make sure that you don't
James Saunders
3:35:32
care.
3:35:32
I don't know if it's a record high.
Lincoln Restler
3:35:34
Does anyone else on the panel able to confirm that this is a record high in terms of the percent of people with a serious mental health designation?
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
3:35:39
Have information for you, but we can get
Lincoln Restler
3:35:41
I can tell you based on the analysis we've done.
3:35:43
This is a record in terms of the percentage of people at records with a Brad H, mental health designation.
3:35:48
So I am deeply concerned that Rikers is an ever growing the ever growing largest psychiatric facility in the state of New York.
3:35:57
But notably in the PMMR, we found that health visits were down by 30% year over year.
3:36:03
Is that correct?
3:36:06
Yes or no, please.
3:36:07
In the PMMR, this is the data point.
3:36:09
I assume you have it at your fingertips.
James Saunders
3:36:14
I don't have that data.
Lincoln Restler
3:36:15
Okay.
3:36:16
So I can't It's accurate.
3:36:17
So what are you doing to fix it?
3:36:19
We've got ever growing number of people who have serious mental health designations at bikers, and we're seeing health visits plummet this current fiscal year.
3:36:30
What is being done to address this?
3:36:31
Succinctly, please.
James Saunders
3:36:33
So the department's committed to ensuring that everyone are now carrying custody has access to quality mentally.
3:36:37
Okay.
Lincoln Restler
3:36:38
I I hear you.
3:36:38
I don't need a lot of speech.
3:36:39
I just am looking for a correct answer.
James Saunders
3:36:41
And a quote, you know, So we reproduce reports in accordance with local law 132 of 2019.
3:36:47
I think you have you receive those reports.
3:36:50
I think it's on our public facing website.
3:36:52
We'd be happy to send them.
Lincoln Restler
3:36:53
Could I ask I I I just love one of my questions or answer directly?
James Saunders
3:36:56
Look at the data.
3:36:57
You'd realize that in calendar year 2023, there were over 611,000 scheduled appointments.
3:37:03
Looking at that, we have approximately We were able to produce people to a majority of their appointments.
3:37:11
And with respect to nonproduction, only 3% of nonproduction is due to no escorts.
3:37:17
And so and so production refusal reasons tracked by DOC can range from, I don't want the service.
3:37:26
I do not want to go to the service, or I'm not coming now and we'll come later.
3:37:30
So Okay.
3:37:30
That's some of the the the endpoints that we do track in that.
Lincoln Restler
3:37:33
I understand that.
3:37:33
But could
Alex Stein
3:37:34
you could
Lincoln Restler
3:37:34
you please stick I'm on the clock, and I'm asking once again to stick to answering my questions.
3:37:38
We've gone from 41% of people with a broad age that's in 2022 to 54, 55% today, yet 30 the health visits are down 30%.
Citymeetings.nyc pigeon logo

Is citymeetings.nyc useful to you?

I'm thrilled!

Please help me out by answering just one question.

What do you do?

Thank you!

Want to stay up to date? Sign up for the newsletter.