NEW YORK — The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has suspended some bail in an attempt to ease the crisis at Rikers Island.
The directive comes as part of an effort to reduce the population at the troubled correctional facility that has seen 12 inmate deaths this year.
In a memo issued Monday, Executive Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi Orbon directs staff not to ask for bail in nonviolent cases while acknowledging the new policy could result in more "low level" crime.
“In light of the conditions faced by those individuals detained at Rikers, we have endeavored to ensure that our practices are as equitable as possible, even though we understand that releasing some individuals may, unfortunately, lead to additional low level crime,” Orbon wrote. “Thank you all for your seemingly endless flexibility and for always tirelessly advocating for crime victims as we continue to respond to various crises.”
The memo obtained by the New York Post tells prosecutors not to ask for bail when the accused hasn't been violent or committed a sex crime and has come to court for scheduled hearings.
The policy is expected to be in effect for the next few weeks.
Prosecutors can still ask for supervised release and other non-cash conditions.
The move comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order officially declaring a state of emergency at Rikers Island, granting a temporary change in criminal procedural law to allow the use of virtual court appearances.
Hochul's order comes weeks after public defenders complained detainees are missing court hearings because of a severe staffing shortage at Rikers.
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