Federal prosecutor warns NYC that legal action might be necessary over problem-plagued jails

Published January 08, 2015

A federal prosecutor says he's ready to take legal action against New York City to force long-overdue reforms at its problem-plagued jail complex.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara made the threat Monday after a newspaper reported the city had given the prosecutor incomplete and inaccurate information about inmate fights at Rikers Island. Bharara said legal action may be necessary to force the city to change.

His office issued a scathing report in early August, saying the city's juvenile jails were extremely violent and unsafe.

On Monday, he cited The New York Times report that hundreds of inmate fights had been omitted from department statistics as the city claimed conditions were improving. Bharara says it doesn't make him confident that the city will quickly meet its constitutional obligations.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/federal-prosecutor-warns-nyc-that-legal-action-might-be-necessary-over-problem-plagued-jails