Transformative Change at Rikers Island and Beyond: The Department of Investigation’s Campaign to Clean up the NYC Department of Correction

Since 2014, Commissioner Mark G. Peters has led the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) in a wide-ranging campaign to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in the Department of Correction (DOC), focusing primarily on problems in the areas of DOC leadership and the city jails on Rikers Island. This heightened scrutiny came in response to revelations of widespread abuse in New York City’s jails–especially on Rikers Island. As a result of DOI’s efforts, over three dozen correction officers and other DOC staff have been arrested since 2014, and DOC top leadership has been replaced. As recently as February 2018, DOI reports have shown that these problems are pervasive and deeply rooted in DOC. This brief examines DOI’s campaign, with analysis of its successes and some thoughts on what lies ahead