Watch CBS News
In a letter initiated by Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, elected leaders also called for the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the conditions.
The jail complex is in the midst of what's been described as a humanitarian crisis.
Thursday, de Blasio touted progress, saying expedited detainee processing, overcrowding and widespread staff sick-outs were all being addressed.
Another inmate has died in the custody of the Department of Correction, this time at the Vernon C. Bain facility in the Bronx. This comes as calls for reform get even louder.
The Department of Correction said the 42-year-old father of two died shortly before 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the infirmary.
The Department of Correction said 42-year-old Isaabdul Karim died shortly before 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the infirmary.
The announcement comes amid worsening violence, inmate deaths and inhumane conditions at Rikers Island.
This comes as Rikers Island deals with an ongoing crisis of growing violence and inmate deaths in the jail.
Earlier this week, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled reforms at Rikers.
For hours Wednesday, the crisis on Rikers Island took center stage, as City Council members heard testimony and questioned stakeholders.
City lawmakers visited the jail Monday, describing scenes of violence, health hazards and deteriorating conditions.
Concerns have reached a tipping point following a 10th detainee recently found dead, reports of increased violence against staff, and one-third of the staff calling out sick.
The jail population has ballooned and many correction officers have stopped showing up for work.
The DOC says widespread sick calls from employees, some of whom are believed to be abusing their unlimited sick days, are creating a dangerous situation.
City numbers show assaults on staff at Rikers are up almost 25%.
The City Council voted to close Rikers Island and replace the complex with four smaller jails in 2019. Kew Gardens was selected for the Queens site, and construction started this June.
The suspect in the recent attack on an Asian woman in Chinatown was no stranger to law enforcement. Alexander Wright's history of arrests is raising questions about what went wrong.
In state Supreme Court, the family of Ryan Wilson had to hear the details of his suicide at the complex last November, a death the family says could have been avoided.
Christopher Buggs, 26, was let out on March 8 due to a clerical error. He had been locked up and awaiting trial on murder and weapons charges since 2018.
The Correction Officers' Benevolent Association says members of a gang are responsible for the attacks.
Meekins, 22, was initially arrested on March 10 in connection to an attempted murder in May 2018.
Meekins, 22, was let out after a Bronx court clerk mistakenly marked him for release without bail.
Police are still trying to track down Buggs and bring him back into custody.
Buggs was charged with killing a 55-year-old man in 2018 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
They say guards left the 19-year-old hanging for seven minutes before coming to his aid.
Pavin Smith hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the Diamondbacks over the Yankees 5-3 on Saturday night.
A vigil was held in the East Village on Saturday night for the teenager killed in a collision between a Citi Bike and a truck.
A woman has been arrested in connection to an attempted kidnapping in Brooklyn.
Crews battled a four-alarm fire at a Brooklyn restaurant Saturday.
New York again prevented the Philadelphia Phillies from gaining ground in the NL wild card race with a 10-3 win Saturday.
A vigil was held in the East Village on Saturday night for the teenager killed in a collision between a Citi Bike and a truck.
A woman has been arrested in connection to an attempted kidnapping in Brooklyn.
Crews battled a four-alarm fire at a Brooklyn restaurant Saturday.
The Democratic congressman has partnered with Republican New York Rep. Mike Lawler to introduce the Stop Rogue AI Act.
Questions are mounting about the death of a man whose body was found in the chimney of a New York City public school.
The Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport announced it welcomed its first-ever red panda cub, marking an important achievement for the endangered species.
New York City and the surrounding area are in for a weather pattern change over the course of the weekend.
Fire departments were hard at work in Paterson, New Jersey, and Fairfield County, Connecticut, due to flash flooding on Sunday morning.
Rainy weather makes a return to the New York City area this weekend.
After a week filled with periods of storminess and high humidity, a calmer and drier weather pattern is settling in for the holiday weekend.
Ahead of the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey, will be displaying items from his life and work.
The suspect has been identified in a deadly shooting that happened outside a Wawa location in Toms River on Friday.
The Democratic congressman has partnered with Republican New York Rep. Mike Lawler to introduce the Stop Rogue AI Act.
Police body camera video shows the moments a woman and two police officers remove a python that was wedged in the grill of her vehicle in Franklin Township on Monday.
New York City and the surrounding area are in for a weather pattern change over the course of the weekend.
CBS News New York's John Elliott reports from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation Long Island Run/Walk at Jones Beach State Park on Sept. 19, 2026.
The ground beneath a Long Island woman opened up, swallowing her into the earth below.
The ground beneath a Long Island woman opened up, swallowing her into the earth below. CBS News New York's Jennifer McLogan reports.
Racing returned to Belmont Park Friday afternoon, more than three years after the iconic Long Island track was shut down for renovations. The redevelopment cost $450 million. CBS News New York's Carolyn Gusoff reports.
Racing returns to Belmont Park on Friday, more than three years after the iconic Long Island track was shut down for renovations.
The Democratic congressman has partnered with Republican New York Rep. Mike Lawler to introduce the Stop Rogue AI Act.
In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump called fears around artificial intelligence possibly becoming a superintelligence that could pose a threat to human existence a hoax.
President Trump said Friday that three outlets would be banned from the White House, "effective immediately."
One Cuba resident said there is "no way to know" when power will be restored to the island nation.
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that U.S. immigration officials must offer detainees "a meaningful opportunity to contest" any deportation to countries where they have no ties.
NYU Langone has reached an agreement with the Justice Department to end gender-affirming care for minors.
A second person has died in the Legionnaires' disease cluster in the South Bronx.
Some people in Keyport, New Jersey, claim the site of a former aircraft manufacturing plant is to blame for a growing number of cancer diagnoses, but the state says otherwise.
Affordable Care Act recipients in 30 states are set to receive the $500 checks starting in October. Here's why.
One person has died and a total of five people have been sickened by Legionnaires' disease in the Bronx.
Duncan Sheik died on Thursday night, his family said.
A truck driver who spent two decades building a massive scale model of his native New York City was delighted when it went viral on TikTok.
The Feast of San Gennaro is filling New York City's Little Italy with faith, music, games and many treats starting Thursday.
The iconic Peanuts character Snoopy is getting a new look for the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas all released statements Tuesday on Instagram saying they were withdrawing from Ed Sheeran's tour.
Pavin Smith hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the Diamondbacks over the Yankees 5-3 on Saturday night.
New York again prevented the Philadelphia Phillies from gaining ground in the NL wild card race with a 10-3 win Saturday.
The Yankees used a five-run first inning to take control early and beat the Diamondbacks 9-2 on Friday night.
The Mets kept the Phillies from gaining ground in the National League wild-card race with a 6-3 victory Friday night.
Julian Hall scored early in the second half for the New York Red Bulls in a 1-0 victory over New York City FC on Friday night.
Neighbors have been waiting since 2021 for the bridge over the Belt Parkway to be rebuilt and reconnect Bath Beach with the waterfront.
The People's Theatre now has its first permanent home in more than 15 years, thanks to help from theater legends from the neighborhood, like Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Brooklyn Greenway Initiative's 1.8-acre native plant sanctuary marks 10 years at a site where historians believe hundreds of human remains still lie
At a Bay Ridge school, students who were born years after the attacks are learning about Sept. 11 through the stories of parents, teachers and first responders who lived through it.
Former Mets players from the 2001 season were at Ladder 25 on the Upper West Side on Tuesday.
People dressed in elaborate headgear and paraded up Fifth Avenue for New York City's Easter Sunday tradition.
The Halloween tradition strolled through Manhattan's East Village on Sunday, with furry friends dressed in colorful costumes.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
The annual Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival was held in Manhattan on April 20, 2025.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
A new era of "Survivor" begins next week with 21 fresh cast members all competing for the grand prize in the South Pacific Ocean. Saturday, many of them met fans at American Dream Mall in New Jersey and offered a sneak peek at what's to come. CBS News New York's Allen Devlin reports.
CBS News New York's Vanessa Murdock has your weather forecast for September 19 at 11 p.m.
Singer Ed Sheeran took to the stage Saturday night in Philadelphia for the first time since turmoil hit his tour.
Backlash continues after President Trump's decision to bar reporters of certain media organizations from the White House. This as he now turns his attention to A.I. and an upcoming visit with the Chinese president. Gwen Baumgardner reports.
The New York City health department is expanding outreach efforts in the Bronx as a Legionnaires' disease cluster continues to grow.
