NYC Spent Half a Million Dollars Per Inmate in 2020, Report Says
- Corrections department spending jumped 30% from a year ago
- Comptroller reiterates calls to close down Rikers Island jail
Rikers Island jail complex in the Bronx borough of New York City.
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The New York City Department of Corrections spent $447,337 per inmate in fiscal 2020, a third more than a year ago and more than double the fiscal 2015 mark, according to a report released Wednesday by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer.
The city is spending more on inmates despite a drop in the number of incarcerations during the pandemic, the report said. Stay-at-home orders led to fewer arrests and prisoners were released to reduce the spread of Covid-19, leading to a drop in city inmates.