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Rikers Island Inmates

Rikers Island inmates are under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Corrections.

It truly is an island that sits in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. It serves as a jail facility for New York City and there are 10 different jails on the island.

The island is named after Abraham Rycken, a Dutch settler who moved to Long Island in 1638 and whose descendants owned Rikers Island until 1884, when it was sold to the city for $180,000. It has been used as a jail ever since.

How do you find an inmate?

To find an inmate, click to the Inmate Lookup Service page. Enter a name and click 'Search'. You will be brought to the next page which will give you:

date of birth
ID number
facility where housed
discharge date
next court date
bail and bond information

If you click the name, on the next page you may review:

personal description
photo, if available
booking information
charge information
warrant information

Rikers Island Prisons

If you are looking for an address and description of the facilities on Rikers Island, go to these links:

For directions, on how to get to Rikers Island, click to the Directions Page.

Useful Information for Families and Friends

Do you have questions about visitation, sending money, and how to get release information? Follow the links below for the answers to those and other questions: