What is Rikers Island Prison?

My son is in Rikers, awaiting extradition to Virginia. Which facility would he be held in?

@Georgesplane: I happen to be a federal correctional officer. The federal agency that manages the federal prison system is the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and is a subsidiary of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Also, the federal prison system has both pre-trial detention centers (similar to the purpose that Riker's serves), as well as institutions for those serving out their federal sentences.

I'm doing a book report on Rikers High and i need to know if it's a state prison or a county prison.

@ GeorgesPlane- There are a number of differences between federal and state level penitentiaries. The respective states department of corrections manages state penitentiaries, so they can range from nicer institutions in smaller states that focus on rehabilitation and prisons in more conservative states that focus on punishment. One commonality between state prisons and jails is they are overcrowded. Many of these prisons are privately operated, and they lobby state governments and donate millions of dollars annually to fill beds. This privatization of the prison system is often what causes controversy, especially when there are cases where judges are receiving marginally legal but highly unethical kickbacks and incentives.

Federal prisons are more focused on rehabilitation and have established national standards. Most who have served tie in both claim that federal prisons are better, but they do have their disadvantages. State sentences are more flexible than federal sentences. Federal sentences are usually standardized with a mandatory minimum with no possibility of parole until that minimum has been met. The controversy over these mandatory minimums is that they are historically biased towards minorities and underserved populations, although the Obama Administration has reversed some of that as of late.

@ Georgesplane- Rykers Island prison is actually a county jail rather than a state or federal penitentiary. The Jail does hold prisoners who have been sentenced, but the main purpose of the prison is to hold inmates awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences.

This does not make Rykers any more of a pleasant place however. The Jail is home to numerous gangs, hardened criminals and habitual offenders. The prison is rife with stories of abuse from both prisoners and guards, even documented instances of guards beating inmates and hiring other inmates as his enforcers. The prison also closed its self-described "gay wing" a few years back because of concerns over abuse and lack of security for LGBT pretrial inmates. Remember that pretrial prisoners have not been proven guilty, so acts of inhumane treatment against these types of prisoners is particularly unsettling.

Is Riker’s Island a state prison or a federal prison? What is the difference between a state prison and a federal prison? Which types of prisons treat prisoners worse and which types of prisons treat prisoners the best? What agency manages federal prisons?