On Monday, New York City’s jail chief, Joseph Ponte, surprised the City Council by announcing that the plan to build a new 1,500-bed jail on Rikers Island, first reported by the Voice in October, had been placed on hold.
BY JB NICHOLAS
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The acknowledgment came during a hearing held by the City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services, chaired by Queens Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley. In response to a question from Crowley, Commissioner Ponte said that construction on the new jail has been stopped.