I stayed here from 06 to 07 and forgot to leave a review. 1. Let me begin by saying everything is free and they never ask for a tip. Most of the hotels I've stayed in pretty much expect tips and the food is always a bit overpriced- not at Rikers. You can pay extra for "commissary" which is basically junk food and extra toiletries. 2. My vacation started at 100 centre street after two gentlemen and the court system as a whole, decided I should quit my gainful-tax paying lifestyle and spend a few years in the care of the correction institution of NY. Apparently, using prescription medication without a prescription warrants this. I was chained to another fine vacationer and we were swiftly taken by bus to Rike's. I give the bus experience 4 stars for value (it was free) but 1 star for the unfriendly staff. 3. Surprisingly great water pressure and shower temperature. 4. Very roomy and yet cosy cots. 5. The bread (served at every meal time) must be some type of local artisanal or ethnically appropriate recipe because it's unlike most store bought bread or any I've tasted previously. 6. The rest of the food is normal pseudo-American fair, pasta, beans and rice, etc. nothing to write about really. 7. Book selection for reading is average and I got a lot of reading done. 8. They have card games and chess/checkers, dominos etc for entertaining times with your new found friends. 9. Staff. The staff need retraining in customer service based duties. Especially the white shirted "captains". Not sure what they believe to be a captain of...but it sure isn't making the customers feel welcome. They often curse wear frowny faced scowls....it just generally seems like they don't want to work there. Every now and then (if your lucky) you'll get to see a Broadway type performance art piece featuring a neo-modern take on the classic Ninja Turtles. They come out yelling and cursing and telling everyone to lay face down on the floor....oh boy it's exciting!!! They prefer Donatellos character though using the culturally appropriate Bo or long stick type weapon. As a side note, I'd really like to see more variety in the characters played and such different weapons. All in all if a cultural diverse, but gender specific, lots of free time vacation is your thing (and by that I mean non-Anglo Caucasian) I'd say you'll love it. read more

They encourage prison visits yet treat visitors like prisoners themselves... (This was my first prison visit here so I wasn't sure what to do and just thought of it like a TSA line where you've got to take your shoes off, phones in the bin, etc. ) Entering the facility. So when we first walked into the actual building we did the usual put your shoes in the bin and whatnot, go through the metal detector, and I thought I was good to put my shoes on after that since nothing went off but got the cop got annoyed with me for that since I guess he didn't instruct me to do so. Anyway he makes me turn my pockets inside out, he looks me doing it and then I put them back inside and he was like "who told you to put them back inside?" Uhm?? Waiting room. Anyway...we eventually get on the other bus to go to the actual visiting building and we're in the waiting room, mind you, it was pretty cold in there. after a while they tell us line up against the lockers. shortly, a bunch of other people from the other buses start to come in, since we're standing by the lockers we have to move over for them to put theyre stuff away. So they start calling people (which completely defeats the purpose of the line) but anyway we get in and are searched and stuff. The visit itself. We came here to visit somebody for an hour, yet it was in no way an hour. Although we were the last ones to be called, everybody stood up at the same time and had to leave at the same time. On the other hand, there was this really nice lady who takes photos of visitors and the inmates. She gave kids these coloring pages/ word search puzzles to keep them entertained. **TRYING** to leave Okay so recall how I said the waiting room was cold? Okay, so all of us were wearing short sleeved T-shirts in this freezing room. My teeth were chattering, and no, we weren't the only ones. There was grown men who were cold, older people who were cold, kids that were cold. One guy came out to the waiting room from the visiting room and commented how cold it was to a cop that was there, (course the cops didn't care they had uniforms and jackets on... ) the guy asked when would the bus be here to take us back to the main entrance, and the cop told him that the bus wouldn't be here until 7pm. It was 6pm. So we're just freezing in this room right? And one person actually went up to the cop and complained that there are kids that are cold, and asked if they could turn down the AC or open the window or go outside (it was probably hotter outside then inside) and the cop told her no. And then proceeded to turn the AC up. They also refused to give us their names... This is really just abuse of power at this point, they just wanted to see us suffer and if we complain about treatment then they'll punish inmates or deny us the visit. read more

A unique and memorable lodging and dining experience in New York can be found here. The personal service and hospitality I received here are second to none. They will come and pick you up anywhere in New York and personally escort you to the front desk to be sure that you find it OK and arrive safely. Upon arrival, they also take a photo of you for their Instagram page. Room service was fabulous as it took only 30 seconds to buzz up reception to get the items like toilet paper and to clean up the blood on the floor etc. No Wifi password was provided to me although i was able to make a free phone call. If I could take one thing from prison and put it in my house, it would be those steel toilets. Talk about comfort. Other then a few bugs and incessant yabbering bogans i had an enjoyable stay. A truly great place to get away from nagging husband and kids! read more

I was pretty hungry at the time and I was about to kill someone for a slice of za. So I went to this real hole in the wall kind of place. I had never been before but I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent service that Rikers provided, they immediately had me sat at a table. They had this ordering system that I had never encountered before today. The waiter would sit on one side of a piece of glass and you would sit on the opposite side and pick up a phone like you were going to call the waiter to order your food. The food was the one downside to the experience, yet I felt it redeemed itself with its originality. I had a slice of bread and a bag of water. The bread was stale and the water had blood in it. Definitely would recommend for people that enjoy the experience over the meal. read more

The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is the poor health care but if you like studying creatures such as bed bugs, lice , and mutant water bugs this is the place. Food is served 3 times a day with breakfast being a choice of wheat bread jelly,butter and milk with cereal. If your lucky enough to spend more time you can get 1 muffin and on Thursdays the chicken line is where it's at, choose between rare and med cooked chicken. Please keep in mind you will have to eat fast due to the rats that seem to be working out to much because they are not scared of nothing and will debo your food with no questions asked The staff ensure that you get access to tv,phones and arts and crafts l. Security is lil tight but it grows on you. City and river views make it a dream spot on the governments dime. Not bad also if your lucky you can find friends who watch you pee,shit and shower to make sure no one messes with you. When your stay is up you will leave in a special bus to protect from zombies getting in with cages and bars on the bus. Then you get a metro card to enter boring nyc again. If your one of the lucky few to enter this world by special invite only come on by. Tell them big L sent you. If you are a regular the staff will know you by name and give you a shout out to the receiving room staff welcoming you back read more

Rikers Island Correctional Facility - The multiple rooms ensure activities and togetherness - Police Departments Near Me - East Elmhurst, New York

Leave extra time to get here. It takes a while to get in and out. It takes longer to get out for some people, but that's a different story. Major improvements to the facility in terms of smell: as it gets colder, you can't smell the harbor so much. The Q100 bus will get you to the Island [http://web.mta.info/nyct/maps/busqns.pdf]. You can pick it up after the F Train at the 21st St / Queens'bridge stop. If you are driving, remember: when you see the "Riker's Island" sign and turn in [right turn from the LIE and LaGuardia Airport] DON'T DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO THE FIRST GUARD POST! Make the first right into the parking lot, drive forward towards the trailer-looking buildings. Park. Get out of your car with the car's registration and your driver's licence. climb the wooden stairs to the window on the left and smile. Say "hello, Officer" and pass your car's registration and your driver's licence though the tray at the bottom of the window to the correction officer sitting at the desk. Wait. Tell her your destination in the prison. Wait. Tell her your destination again in the prison. Wait. Collect your Gate Pass and all your documents. You can put away the car's registration, but keep out the driver's licence and Gate Pass. Go back out of the parking lot the way you came in, make the right towards the prison and the first gatehouse. Slow and stop your car, roll down your driver's side window and smile. Say "hello, Officer" and show your driver's licence and Gate Pass. Say "goodbye, Officer" and roll up your window. Drive through the gate towards the Bridge. If you drive it at night, you will see on your left one of the greatest views on the NYC skyline there is. If you can stop your eyes from watering from the stench. [Yes, that is a methane burn-off tower shooting a flame 10 feet into the air.] Hazen Street is the name of the Bridge and concourse that you drive over to get to each guardpost. The first right over the Bridge is the parking lot. Find a spot and park. Leave the Gate Pass on the dashboard so you don't get towed. Now, let me give you a quick piece of advice: I'm a lawyer, but this ain't lawyer stuff, it's common sense. DON'T BRING ILLEGAL STUFF IN WITH YOU TO RIKER'S. UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAY A WHILE. SERIOUSLY. Bring your driver's licence and your car keys and leave everything else in the car [phone, camera, knives, flasks, chainsaws, etc.] LOCK YOUR CAR. Did you leave the Gate Pass on the dashboard so you don't get towed? Smart. Enter the facility to your left. If you are a lawyer with a NYS Court card: congratulations. The lawyer's EZ Pass lane is on the left: you get to cut in front of everyone. Otherwise, stay to your right behind the line [the sign will tell you which line] and wait. When you are called, slowly but calmly approach the window. Say "hello, Officer" and show your driver's licence and state your destination. Wait. Wait. Tell her your destination in the prison. Wait. Tell her your destination again in the prison. Wait. Get a hand stamp and a plastic square with a number and a building name on it. Say "thank you, Officer" Go out to the busses, transport to the house where your appointment is, then do the reverse to get out. And be glad you can. Take care. read more

How I compare thee to a Yelp Elite Event Venue No booze, but there's always free food - 3 squares a day. Rikers 1 Yelp 0 Free proctology and/or gynocological examines nightly. Rikers 2 Yelp 0 Yelp has free swag circa headbands, lunchboxes, t-shirts - monthly. Rikers has coveralls, free laundry, and bracelets to match - daily. Rikers 3 Yelp 0 Yelp has men and women who like you but wouldn't show it. Rikers has men and women who like you, and won't hesitate to show you - again and again and again. Long time. Rikers 4 Yelp 0 So what does Yelp Elite Events have over Rikers? Peter D. read more

My big brother was a resident here off and on for years. He had free health care, free schooling, a water view and a gym membership with his residential plan. I went to see him here many times while Mayor Dinkins was in office. It was a "lively" community with it's own shuttle bus to the island. Going to visit him there was a growing experience. His friends there seemed very nice and liked to share Reese's Peanut Butter Cups a lot for some reason. Too bad they had to share one phone. But my brother said living in a gated community is not all that great but at least they had metal detectors to protect the residents. He said he felt like a prisoner! read more

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Honestly I had the most pleasant stay in the facility. They had comfortable beds and my roomate was quite the chatterbox. The showers have slippery soaps so watch out and bingo fridays are the best! read more

The food there is absolutely incredible. For tourists in the area and looking for something to eat, I would definitely recommend here. They served me the best mashed potatoes I've ever had, and the sloppy joe blew my mind. 10/10 staff as well. Would reccomend to anyone. read more

Ah! New York's little 'vacation' spot! 'Where'd you go away to?' someone asks. 'The Island.' There's a phrase: 'three hots & a cot.' That refers to those people who do 'something' to enable to visit our little 'holiday' spot. Rikers (I heard) was a LOT worse in the 90's. I visited in '02. I was at C95 (there's a bunch of jails on the Island, depending on your condition (medical), or age, or crime (history) is where you end up. Some are 'mods,' cells, and dorms. It all depends on 'them' - CO's - where you end up. Things you MUST remember: No matter what religion you (really) are/aren't, say you're 'Jewish.' Why? Because, you'll get a box of Matzoh ('crackers, as some call it), a bottle of grape juice (both weekly) and, you'll get a trip to meet the Rabbi (A VERY nice man who lets you use his phone). 2nd thing to remember is say you've a medical condition, in which you NEED to have 'double portions.' Trust me on this. Otherwise - you'll really starve. Make sure someone's put money on your account. You'll NEED it. For food, and for... other things ('nuff said). The best thing to do is MYOB. Books - READ!!!. In the day-rooms, the TV's on, and there's only so much of either Springer, or other crap, I can stomach, so, read. Also; sign up for Law-Library. It doesn't make a difference IF you NEED it, just...sign up. It's a time-killer. Also, go to rec. Since smoking's no longer allowed, that doesn't really stop it. Though there is 'Tea-bacco' cigarettes (those are 'cigarettes made with tea leaves, and nicotine patches), and there ARE some (REAL) cigs, this IS jail, so, if you think you can have a nice 'puff,' forget it. It's the thickness of pencil-lead, and, everyone'll try and get a drag, so, even if you're the heaviest smoker, it can be MORE annoying than it's worth, so, 'just say no,' especially if you're there for only a week or so. There are some CO's who are very nice. They do their job, but, they treat you like a human. Others (tons) are only interested in eating their damm bag of chips, and yakking with each other, and pay no mind to you.To them, you are (just) a 'body' (that's what they refer to you as). I like it best when I read about that LAST type getting arrested for doing stupid shit. Let them get a taste of their OWN medicine. Best thing to do? Don't end up there. Otherwise, MYOB, and you (might) end up having stories to tell.. read more

Great hotel option for anyone wanting a true NYC experience . As soon as we get to the room, you notice the rustic aesthetic cell. It truely is amazing. The bed was small however quaint and the hotel staff had amazing blue uniforms and were very kind. 10/10 recommend. read more

According to my bartender with the Alias "Jimms", Rikers' is where men go and figure out how many orifices there are in the human body. And mostly importantly, be careful when bending over. read more

Great island getaway right in my own backyard.. Beautiful on a summer night with a great view of Manhattan's famous skyline. The dinner is nothing less than 5 star. Insider tip-- Thursday is chicken night and it's to die for. Only a pop, squat and cough away. read more

I'm thankful I am not an inmate or a corrections officer. When you walk into any one of the buildings, there is the unmistakeable smell of Rikers. It's like body odor, bleach, and beefaroni? I have a huge appetite so I figured how bad could the food be? Well, for starters the hot dogs are an unnatural white and they have bones in them! So be thankful next time you eat a boneless hotdog. Another frequent dish is the rainbow baloney that comes in various colors from an iridescent green to deep purple. Beefaroni doesn't look too bad but it too has bones. The smelly beefaroni oils seem to permeate through the skin for a few days, probably why Rikers smells like it. Protip: If you find yourself an inmate here, definitely request vegetarian meals if they do that. Interesting fact: even though Rikers is attached to Queens by a bridge it is considered part of the Bronx. read more

This was the first time I went to an escape room. Didn't know what to expect but the staff was going all in. This was a VERY challenging game. Looked for clues everywhere to no avail and it took forever to solve the puzzles and get out. The difficulty level was above my level but at least food was included. This place is only for the hard core escape room enthusiasts! read more

I really enjoyed my stay here. There are many types of colorful characters who are quick to show you the "ins and outs" of this amazing facility. For example, since the staff performs random room searches for some reason, I quickly learned from my bunk mate that the human body has many orifices that can double as little "hidey-holes". I was also initially shy, but in the first day of my stay I was approached and rather rapidly initiated into a gang! Imagine that!! I'm now part of a crew and can act all "gangsta" the whole day long. I recently checked out but can't wait for my next stay. The food is absolutely delish and the social programs are simply amazing. It was a great stay and I would like to send a super duper shout out to all of my homies at Rikers. Much love y'all!! read more

A great and pleasant place to stay:) I love all my roommates and the food is mad good, it's free rent in NYC and a good veiw of LaGuardia, definitely gonn come back here! read more

You know I've withdrew from my life of violence. Now I just relax with my wife and my friends and play the soothing music of New Orleans brass bands. read more

Rikers is a popular and intimidating prison, when you go on that highway/bridge to get to the facility you feel like you are on your way to Shutter Island! I went on a class "field trip" here many years ago and they must have asked the prisoners to scare us because they were doing anything they could to drill into our heads that prison is hell. One kid in the class had an earring on and was harassed so bad he never wore it again. If you are going to prison this is the place to be, because you will learn quickly that you messed up and hopefully you will get your act together. They don't serve good food though, so be prepared! read more

At OBCC THE WAIT IS RIDICULOUS TO LODGE PRISONERS. When you finally get in it appears as if no one wants to help you out or actually do their job. I am definitely not speaking about all the officers there because there are officers who do help you and work hard but this night in question was ridiculous. read more

Say, this is nothing like Mom's Meatloaf. "Hey Chef" , check that recipe please! http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/rikers-island-meatloaf-rat-poison-lab-tests-article-1.2201479 read more

it looked like they hadn't washed the beddding since the last guest, but at least they are semi-private rooms. fYI, very slippery soap in the showers, use at your own risk read more

Not a bad place for a short stay. Close to La Guardia airport. Kind of hard to get a taxi though. Swimming is dangerous. Guards don't want you to leave. read more

This is my favorite because we have an entire correctional facility inmate population past ready to be detained, apprehended, and imprisoned for black Crime throughout the U.S. that total more than 6,666 criminals awaiting trial in all and we are currently waiting for the United States Armed Forces to come through the center core of earth in order to get to the occult underground performing routine black Crime every day and members of ISIS holding hostages for more than 42 years these black Crime participants are resisting arrest, ignoring Local, State, and Federal Authorities, avoiding the Law, neglecting their responsibilities by being Underground using invisible foreign substances for more than 4,745 consecutive days. Please come pick them up A.S.A.P. Thank You. read more

The food was dreadful and the staff was so rude. Apparently they'll let anyone in because my room companions cast an underlying threat of violence that, quite frankly, left me feeling somewhat disappointed. read more

As the warlord of the island, I find it very acceptable for our new "friends" to come and be our allies

I was really scared coming in since I'm a very thin and innocent looking black boy. I didn't want to get into fights but I also didn't want to be anyones bitch especially since I was only sentenced to a few months. I always hear about how you have to deal with rapist so I was terrified to say the least. Well it wasn't as bad as the tv shows portray it but I was still accosted numerous times. Luckily my cell mate was a really big Latino guy who had a lot of respect and he protected me as long as I was his "wife". I didn't have to have real sex I just had to be like a girl in his presence. For example I had to change how I walk into a more feminine stye, and when it was time for bed I had to let him spoon me and cuddle me like I was his baby. That was the scariest time cause his junk would get really hard against my butt and I was worried he would try to put it in. Thank god he didn't cause it was huge, but I did have to kiss him and play with his thing with my hands and mouth. I say that it doesn't make me gay cause I never had to do stuff with my butt so theres that. Oh and be careful of the super girly looking guys cause they might look week but they are just as vicious if not more! I guess my Latino "daddy" was really sought after cause he was young, buff, and kind (for a psycho lol) so that made me a target to all the "girls" (they call the fem gay boys girls). I would get threats that they would slash me but it never happened mostly because I had my Latino daddy to protect me. Anyway it wasn't that bad and I didn't have to worry about getting a std, but still it was a bad situation to be in. The guards really didn't offer protection to the young and smaller guys so we basically had survive with our own form of protection. Not everyone was lucky enough to get a nice guy to protect them. I knew one kid who was with this gross fat and old black guy and he treated him like his personal slave. He made him do all the cleaning and even took some of his food whenever he wanted it. My daddy was actually very caring which made it easier for me not to lose my mind! Also he was only a few years older than me so I wasn't totally grossed out even tho I'm straight. I just wish the guards would put more effort in stopping it cause its not right. read more

The customer service is exceptional. If you need any help or navigation they are extremely helpful.

You know I withdrew from my life of violence. Now I just hang out with my wife and my friends, and play the soothing music of New Orleans brass bands. read more

I've visited clients on Rikers over the past two years and have friends who work as correctional officers. The facility has dormitories, cells, and modules which comprise several separate jails. The amenities are poor to average, the food is terrible, and the staff varies from friendly to mostly indifferent. There are some CO's with poor attitudes, but for the most part, the officers just want to get through their daily tour with as few annoyances as possible. The best way to survive detention is to mind your business and avoid hanging out in groups. You don't want to owe anyone anything, because that can quickly lead to problems. (DO NOT engage in any debt that you can't pay back immediately, because an inmate who is owed an unpaid debt is deemed weak if they don't take action, unless they are respected and stringing you out for the big payback). Contrary to stories of intimidation, assault, and rape, if you mind your business you shouldn't experience many issues. A typical day consists of recreation and more time then you'll ever want to sit around and do absolutely nothing. Basically, you have to learn how to survive total boredom as most detainees and inmates do very little to nothing all day. Also, the intake-screening process isn't perfect, so you can expect to be housed at any given moment among people with mental issues as well as those with illegal drug, cigarette, and/or alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Contrary to "big Bubba" stories, being six-foot-plus and packed with muscles isn't required to survive Rikers. In fact, many, if not most, of the "shot-callers" are average size dudes. Rikers is a mental game (think chess). Being big and muscle-bound helps, but the dudes calling shots are very bright above being physically intimidating. It's not uncommon to have a regular size dude running a dorm; meaning, telling the inmates when they can catch "slot time" (talk on the phone); what television station is being played in the day room; keeping bank (holding debts), distributing contraband, who sleeps where, etc, etc, etc, (Not to mention whatever punishment is laid out on an inmate or dorm at a given time through a CO's order). Un-contrary to stories involving retribution for snitching, just mind your business in terms of those things that invariably occur with-or-without your involvement. Dudes will argue and fight; drugs will be exchanged; sexual activity will occur, etc, etc, etc. Unless any information you provide to law enforcement leads to release from confinement, simply mind your damn business. Not one day will pass without something fishy occurring, but 95% of the time is like a Hip-Hop song - all talk about how tough it is in the 'hood, but in reality, it occurs in short intervals. Minimize eye contact with those beyond your trust and say little-to-nothing about the inner workings of Rikers to those you befriend. (Talk sports, music, the weather, CO's; but don't talk about what you see - if pressed by your confidant's (you really have none), tell them, "You know how I do, I don't see anything" and leave the weight of honor on them. (Unless you're dealing with blood-relatives or someone you know-and-trust outside jail, you have NO real friends on Rikers). This is not to say that you won't make friends - If you you're a person with average social skill, you'll develop associations, Just bear in mind, they are "jail friends." And also remember, when you truly befriend someone, you'll be expected to back them up in the event they have beef. So, the fewer tight associations you make, the better. Rikers is comprised of a cross-section of races, age, and background. Yes, there are plenty of tough guys and gangs, but there is also a multitude of non-tough guys to balance the population, making incarceration quite survivable. The best way to describe Rikers is visiting a NYC DMV center and suddenly closing the doors so that no one can leave. That's Rikers - a cross-section of the people. Everyone will find their comfort zone, and whatever drama occurs will depend on the individual(s) in a given setting. (Some sections of Rikers are worse than other sections). Rikers meals are not good at all. A typical dinner is a spongy breaded chicken patty without any trace of poultry, imitation mashed potato, veggies that taste like a can dented with botulism, and bread so stiff that pigeons call it communion. Portions are very small, You're shuttled to-and-from mess hall with about 5-7 minutes to actually consume your meal. If possible, arrange to have money placed into commissary where you can purchase palatable food to balance your appetite and hunger. Also, the feeding schedule begins very early in the morning to accommodate inmates with court dates. Breakfast is optional. Lunch and dinner occur very early in the day compared to an average "outside" eating schedule. Expect to be hungry in the early evening until you adjust. A solid commissary is very helpful in balancing lunch and dinner. read more

we played cards dominos we went to school and we played kick you butt and ruff tag and basket ball hand ball theres weights if you like to excersize was fun the best bidding i did ever anybody you know that can help keep the place up please keep it running oh theres churches to attend law library and last time there they had tablets and programmings i got my osha10 there i was impress by the improvements they are making please keep this place up and running they way boy oh boy rikers island isnt a place for little kids thats why they have tryons and other facilties but the place keeps us young and its not a bad place if you cant handle it dont do time there oh and rikers island is one of the best host i know read more

I served 25 years and was innocent! The warden made me do everyones taxes and lie on the books! Luckily my friend Red smuggled a rock hammer and eventually I escaped thru the sewer pipes!. Never again! read more