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Assault on staff by individual in custody (monthly rate per 1,000 ADP)
Provide a safe and secure environment for individuals in custody, staff and host communities. — Ensure the security and safety of individuals in DOC custody.
DOC attributes the FY22-to-FY24 decline in assaults on staff to broader efforts to better manage the jails and reduce violence. The FY25 rebound coincided with a nearly 10 percent rise in the average daily jail population, a larger share of people held on serious violent charges following bail reform, ongoing uniformed staff attrition, and a state prison workers' wildcat strike that temporarily halted transfers of sentenced individuals out of city jails, all cited by DOC as contributing factors.
Researched July 16, 2026 — DOC, Fiscal 2024 Mayor's Management Report, DOC, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report
* 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 |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 15.8 |
| FY23 | 12.3 |
| FY24 | 9.5 |
| FY25 | 12.4 |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
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: Security database — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The monthly rate, per 1,000 individuals in custody, of incidents involving an individual in custody assault on a civilian staff member or a uniformed staff member. Assaults against uniformed staff members captured by this indicator include only those resulting in a staff use of force. Although rare, some assaults on uniformed staff do not precipitate a use of force and are not represented in the data as it is currently captured.