Rikers Island Custody Overview
The New York City Department of Correction operates the Rikers Island facilities that serve Queens County arrests after a court commitment to DOC custody. Queens does not run a separate sheriff jail roster. The working custody path is citywide: a person arrested in Queens may first be in NYPD custody, may appear in Queens Criminal Court, and may then be admitted to DOC if bail is not posted or the court remands the person. Once DOC receives the person and enters the custody record, the public lookup can show the current holding location.
The Rikers Island campus includes several Hazen Street facilities in East Elmhurst. The NYC DOC facilities overview lists Eric M. Taylor Center, George R. Vierno Center, North Infirmary Command, Otis Bantum Correctional Center, Robert N. Davoren Center, Rose M. Singer Center, and West Facility. Those buildings do not all serve the same custody need. Some hold male adults, one is tied to women in custody, and others serve medical, disability, separated, or communicable-disease housing. Read the holding location exactly as DOC displays it.
Important: NYC DOC lookup covers current DOC custody only. It does not show police custody, state prison, federal custody, ICE custody, or juvenile detention.
Rikers Island Capacity Limits
Official population data in the research is citywide, not a Queens-only or building-by-building count. The NYC Mayor's Management Report FY2025 lists a citywide DOC average daily population of 6,823 and 24,210 admissions for FY2025. The NYC Comptroller dashboard reported a city jail population of 6,805 on March 2, 2026, with the dashboard last updated May 20, 2026. Those figures cover the NYC DOC system as a whole, including Queens County defendants housed on Rikers Island.
For Rikers Island facility pages, the key limit is what is not published. The official facility list in the research does not provide rated capacities for EMTC, GRVC, NIC, OBCC, RNDC, or West Facility. The broader borough-based jail plan lists a replacement target of no more than 4,160 beds citywide, while the Queens borough-based jail project is planned for 886 beds. Those planning numbers should not be treated as live Rikers building capacities.
Lookup Rikers Island Inmates
The correct search route for Rikers Island custody is the NYC DOC P.I.C. Lookup. The DOC landing material says the lookup gives current DOC custody location and basic case information. NYC311 states that available information may include charges, court date and location, Book and Case Number, jail mailing address, NYSID, holding location, release date, and bail or bond amount. It is not a sheriff roster and it is not a statewide prison locator.
- Open the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup and choose the ID route or the name route.
- Search by NYSID or Book and Case Number when available, since those identifiers reduce duplicate-name problems.
- If no identifier is known, enter first and last name as the person would appear in court or DOC records.
- Check the holding location, court date, charges, Book and Case Number, and mailing address before sending money or planning travel.
- If there is no result after a recent Queens arrest, use 311 because the person may still be in police custody or not yet entered in DOC data.
Sentenced state prisoners are searched through New York State DOCCS, not through DOC. Federal sentenced prisoners use the BOP locator, and immigration custody uses the ICE detainee locator. For release alerts in city custody, NYC VINE is available at 888-846-3469.
Rikers Island Contact Details
DOC contact channels are citywide because the Rikers Island facilities are operated by New York City Department of Correction. For routine city help, use 311. The Office of Constituent and Grievance Services handles complaints, letters of incarceration, and public family concerns during weekday business hours. For a medical emergency involving a person in custody, the research identifies Correctional Health Services as the emergency contact route.
Rikers Island Facilities
Rikers Island / Hazen Street facility campus
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
311; OCGS 718-546-1500
OCGS: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; 311 complaints available 24/7
NYC DOC Headquarters
75-20 Astoria Blvd.
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
ConstituentServices@doc.nyc.gov
FOIL mail routes use the DOC Legal Division at this address.
Rikers Island Visit Rules
NYC DOC uses citywide in-person visiting rules for Rikers custody. Visits are available on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, with different registration windows for weekdays and weekends. A last-name schedule applies, so the day alone is not enough to confirm eligibility. Visitors age 16 and older need valid current photo and signature identification. Visitors may be searched by passive canine teams at the Rikers Island Visit Control Building, borough facilities, or hospital prison wards.
| Visit Item | Rikers Island Rule | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Registration 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. | In-person, last-name schedule |
| Thursday | Registration 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. | In-person, last-name schedule |
| Saturday | Registration 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | In-person, last-name schedule |
| Sunday | Registration 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | In-person, last-name schedule |
| Televisit | Submit DOC online request; not every request is initially satisfied | Family or friend video visit |
Detainees may receive three visits per week, while sentenced individuals may receive two visits per week. A visit group may include no more than two adults and one lap child, or one adult and two children with at least one child small enough to sit on a lap.
Rikers Island Mail Money
Mail for a person in Rikers Island custody must follow DOC's letter addressing rules and include the person's full name, Book and Case Number, and the full facility name and address shown by DOC. The Book and Case Number matters for mail, money, and bail because it ties the person to the correct NYC DOC custody record. Packages are searched and must fit DOC limits. Toiletries and food are prohibited because those items must be bought by the person in custody through commissary.
| Service | Provider or Rule | Limit or Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Full name, Book and Case Number, full facility name and address | Use the current DOC holding location | |
| Packages | Mail or Bail and Package Reception next to Central Visits | Maximum 15 pounds and under 24 by 12 by 24 inches |
| Money online or phone | JPay or Western Union | Vendors charge fees; DOC says it does not receive those fees |
| Cashier kiosk | Rikers Central Cashier inside Central Visit House | 24/7 kiosk route; cash accepted at kiosks |
| Mail deposit | Bank check or money order payable to the person in custody | Cash, personal checks, and certified checks are not accepted by mail |
DOC's tablet program names Securus Technologies for tablets in custody. The research says tablets include free phone calls, education, digital law library access, e-books, radio, and departmental messages. Housing-unit landline phones also remain available under DOC phone policy.
Rikers Island Booking Intake
A Queens County arrest does not usually appear in DOC lookup at the moment of arrest. The person starts with NYPD or another arresting agency, then moves through court processing. Queens Criminal Court handles many arraignments and preliminary felony hearings. If the court releases the person, there may be no DOC jail admission. If the court remands the person or bail is not posted, DOC receives the person into city jail custody.
DOC intake uses identity information such as NYSID and Book and Case Number, then handles search, property, medical screening, and housing placement. Classification can place a person in a general Rikers building, a special housing area, North Infirmary Command, or a hospital prison ward. DOC VINE research notes that 48 hours or more can pass between arrest, housing by DOC, and entry into the Person in Custody Information System.
About Rikers Island Facilities
Rikers Island is a campus of city jail buildings rather than one Queens County jail. Facility history in the research shows EMTC was built in 1964 and expanded in 1973, GRVC opened in 1991 and expanded in 1993, RNDC opened in 1972, RMSC opened in 1988, and West Facility opened in fall 1991. The North Infirmary Command includes the original Rikers Island Hospital built in 1932. Those details explain why a DOC lookup result may show a specific building abbreviation instead of a single campus name.
Rikers Island conditions and population are also tracked through citywide oversight sources. The FY2025 Mayor's Management Report reports rising average daily population and admissions for DOC, while the Comptroller dashboard tracks population, deaths in custody, staffing, violence, and service metrics. Those sources are system-level tools. They do not replace the individual DOC P.I.C. Lookup for a Queens County inmate location.
Note: Confirm the current holding location and visit schedule with DOC before traveling to Rikers Island.