Safely reducing the NYC jail population
Reductions so far
New York City’s use of jail is among the lowest nationally
New York City leads the nation in defendants who wait for trial at home instead of in jail
Reduction strategies already in place
The average daily population in New York City jails was 7,365 in 2019.
Strategy: Reduce length of stay
Long stays greatly impact the city’s jail population
Strategy: Reduce the number who go in: Bail reform
Most people who post bail do so within a week
Strategy: Reduce the number who go in: Supervised release
Supervised release – a bail alternative program – has diverted over 17,000 people
Strategy: Reduce the number who go in: Targeted interventions for frequent users
Approximately 59% of the city sentenced population serve sentences of fewer than 60 days
Projected reductions
Longer-term plan: summary of interventions currently in progress