Jail has become primary site of care for some
BY CARTER MYERS-BROWN
Posted 10/2/26
More than half of people held in New York City jails receive mental health services during their incarceration, testimony heard in a City Council hearing last week revealed. The reliance of incarcerated individuals on mental health services shows the role Rikers Island plays as a major site of psychiatric care — and raises questions about whether jail can provide the long-term treatment many people need.
At the Council oversight hearing on Sept. 23, officials and advocates debated the mental health needs of people in city custody and whether the Department of Correction and Correctional Health Services can adequately meet them.
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