All topics / Public Safety and Access to Justice / Department of Correction
Population as percent of capacity (%)
Provide a safe and secure environment for individuals in custody, staff and host communities. — Maximize bed capacity and address cell maintenance and repairs in a timely manner.
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 75% | 96% |
| FY23 | 79% | 96% |
| FY24 | 87% | 96% |
| FY25 | 92% | 96% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 96% |
92% in FY25 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (4% below the 96% target), though it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The 2015 Nunez consent decree grew out of a lawsuit brought by a teenager who alleged he was beaten by a DOC captain on Rikers Island; it mandated reforms including de-escalation policies and restrictions on tactics like head strikes. A court-appointed monitor has since filed dozens of reports finding the City out of compliance with the order, and in 2025 a federal judge appointed an outside Remediation Manager to take over reform efforts after the City was held in contempt of multiple provisions. That history is why "safe and secure" custody in NYC's jail system is not just a routine institutional goal but a specific, court-monitored legal obligation.
DOJ - Agreement to Address NYC's Non-Compliance With Rikers Consent Judgment, Legal Aid Society - Nunez v. City of New York
Source: Custody Management database — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The percent of open and ready beds that individuals in custody occupied.