Rikers Population vs. Capacity — Mamdani's First 100 Days

Rikers Population vs. Borough Jail Capacity

The average daily Rikers population has climbed to 7,067 as of March 2025, more than twice the 3,300-bed planned capacity of the four new borough jails. Until the population drops or capacity is expanded, closing Rikers Island is as much an arithmetic problem as a political one.

Rikers Average Daily Population vs. Borough Jail Capacity, 2019–2025

Avg. daily Rikers jail population

Borough jail capacity (3,300 beds)

Created by Tal Roded · NYCuriosity

Average daily population (2024–2025): 6,307 (May 2024) and 7,067 (March 2025) from The City. 2019–2023 figures are approximate estimates based on trend reporting from the NYC Comptroller and Data Collaborative for Justice.

Borough jail capacity (3,300 beds): Widely cited figure for the four planned borough jails (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens). Some sources reference an updated figure of 4,160. The Manhattan Institute's "Is 3,300 Enough?" uses 3,300 as the planned total.