Incarceration on Rikers Island in the Aftermath of the New York State Corrections Officers Strike
Following a statewide corrections officer strike in February 2025 and the termination of over 2,000 officers, New York State prisons have been unable to accept timely transfers of people sentenced to state time. This brief analyzes the resulting surge in the “state-ready” population on Rikers Island—those awaiting transfer to prison—which rose more than eight-fold from 101 to 875 people from February to June 2025. As of the end of June 2025, these individuals accounted for 11% of the total jail population and are responsible for 89% of February-to-June 2025 jail population growth. In short, the jail population would have changed little in the first half of 2025 if not for the ripple effects of the corrections officer strike.
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Update: December 2025
This update reviews the six months following our July 2025 analysis of the state-ready backlog caused by the February correction officers strike. As of December 2, 2025, the number of people in NYC jails awaiting transfer to state prison has declined from a peak of 885 in July to 189 in December, returning to its historical share of under 5% of the total jail population. Increased DOCCS transfer activity—averaging 76 transfers per week—has driven this recovery. While the state-ready count remains modestly above its pre-strike level, the backlog created by the strike has largely subsided, and the overall jail population has fallen accordingly.