Rikers Island Facility Overview
Rikers Island / NYC Department of Correction Facilities are the practical primary jail system for Bronx County. NYC DOC holds people awaiting trial and people convicted and sentenced to one year or less, and the same citywide system also includes state-ready people awaiting transfer, technical parole violators, federal categories, and other unsentenced people reported in state jail population data. Bronx readers should not look for a Bronx sheriff jail roster because New York City local jail custody is run by DOC.
The public visit gateway is the Benjamin Ward Visit Center at 18-31 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. The active Rikers commands identified in the research are Eric M. Taylor Center, George R. Vierno Center, North Infirmary Command, Otis Bantum Correctional Center, Robert N. Davoren Center, Rose M. Singer Center, and West Facility. Bellevue Hospital Outposted Therapeutic Housing Units are part of the same DOC custody network for people with complex medical needs.
Rikers Capacity and Population
Current systemwide rated capacity is not published as one single DOC figure in the research materials. The sourced population picture is still clear: the NY DCJS/SCOC monthly jail population report prepared June 1, 2026 listed all NYC facilities at a May 2026 average daily census of 6,569 and an in-house count of 6,564. DOC's FY25 Q3 demographics report listed Bronx borough-of-case average daily population at 1,011, or 14.9 percent of DOC ADP.
The January 2026 Board of Correction borough-based jail report said average daily population to date was 7,247 and that the jail population fell 8.36 percent from July to November 2025. It also noted overcrowding variance issues and delayed transfers of state-ready people to DOCCS custody. The borough-based jail plan capacity cap cited in the research is no more than 4,160, far below the 2025 and 2026 citywide jail counts.
Look Up Someone at Rikers
The correct roster for Rikers Island / NYC DOC Facilities is the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup. The lookup covers people in DOC custody only. It is not for police custody, state prison custody, federal detention, or immigration detention. A Bronx arrest may not appear until after court commitment to DOC, so a very recent police arrest can require a court, precinct, or records-request path instead.
- Open the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup.
- Use NYSID or Book and Case Number when known, because that avoids same-name results.
- If no identifier is known, search by first and last name.
- Read the current DOC location and basic case information, then confirm with DOC or VINE if travel or release timing matters.
- If the person is not found, check DOCCS for state prison, BOP for federal custody, ICE ODLS for immigration detention, and WebCriminal for court dates.
The Bronx County jail inmate records page gives a fuller lookup path for current, released, state, federal, and immigration custody.
Rikers Address and Contact
Visitors and families should use the visit center and DOC general contact routes rather than trying to contact one housing command as if it were an independent county jail. People can transfer between commands, and DOC custody location should be confirmed before travel. NYC VINE is the release-notification hotline for DOC custody, but it does not monitor police lockups, juvenile detention, federal detention, state prisons, or immigration custody.
Benjamin Ward Visit Center
18-31 Hazen Street
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
718-546-1500 / NYC 311
NYC VINE custody hotline: 888-846-3469
NYC DOC Headquarters
Bulova Building, 75-20 Astoria Blvd.
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
718-546-1500
Use NYC OpenRecords for DOC records not shown online.
Visiting Someone at Rikers
DOC visits are coordinated through the Rikers Island visit process. The research schedule shows no regular visits on Monday or Tuesday, in-person visits on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and televisits on Friday. All visits are one hour. DOC states that schedule eligibility is based on the first letter of the person's last name, so visitors should check the monthly schedule before travel.
| Day | Registration / Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | No regular visits | None |
| Tuesday | No regular visits | None |
| Wednesday | Registration 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. | In person |
| Thursday | Registration 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. | In person |
| Friday | 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Televisit by request |
| Saturday | Registration 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | In person |
| Sunday | Registration 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | In person |
Televisit requests must be for the upcoming week and are not confirmed until the visitor receives an email with the date, time, and access link. DOC can end a televisit for recording, screenshots, dress-code violations, unlisted participants, sexual misconduct, appearing under the influence, or other rule violations.
Mail and Money at Rikers
DOC package rules are specific. Permissible packages may be delivered during in-person visiting hours at the Bail and Package Reception area next to Central Visits or sent by mail. Packages cannot exceed 15 pounds or 24 inches wide by 12 inches high by 24 inches deep. All packages are searched, and food, toiletries, cash, and many clothing features are restricted.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail and packages | Use DOC package rules; only listed items are allowed and all items are subject to search. |
| Money deposit at cashier | DOC cashier office or Rikers Central Cashier; no DOC fee for direct cashier deposits. |
| Phone deposit | JPay 800-574-JPAY or Western Union 800-325-6000; transfer-agent fees apply. |
| Internet or walk-in deposit | JPay, Western Union, and participating money-transfer locations; first and last name plus Book and Case Number are needed. |
| Western Union codes | City Code NYCITYDOC and State Code NY. |
Booking and Intake at Rikers
A Bronx arrest usually begins with NYPD or another law-enforcement agency, then police processing, then Criminal Court arraignment. DOC custody begins if the court remands the person or the person cannot make bail where bail is authorized. DOC intake then covers identity confirmation, property handling, medical and mental-health screening, classification, housing assignment, and creation or update of the custody record.
Some custody needs route to specialized commands. North Infirmary Command houses people with acute medical conditions, infirmary needs, ADA-compliant housing needs, and some general population detainees. Bellevue Hospital Outposted Therapeutic Housing Units opened in 2026 for people in DOC custody with complex medical needs. Medical details should not be expected in public lookup results.
About the Rikers Commands
The Rikers Island commands have distinct histories and custody roles. Eric M. Taylor Center houses males and was built in 1964, then expanded in 1973. George R. Vierno Center opened in 1991 and houses detained and sentenced male adults. Otis Bantum Correctional Center opened in 1985 and uses dormitory and cell housing. Robert N. Davoren Center opened in 1972 and primarily houses detained and sentenced males and young adults.
Rose M. Singer Center opened in 1988 as an 800-bed facility for female detainees and sentenced women, with a historical nursery detail. The same address also hosts RESH, and DOC warns that RESH currently houses both restrictive housing and general population, with RESH-GP people not subjected to restrictive status. West Facility opened in 1991 and was built from sprungs, rigid aluminum-framed structures covered with heavy-duty plastic fabric, including single-cell units and Communicable Disease Unit cells.
Note: Confirm custody location, visiting eligibility, and transfer status with DOC or VINE before traveling to Rikers Island.