STATEN ISLAND — The mayor won't open a new jail on Staten Island as part of the city's plan to close Rikers Island in 10 years.
Despite a report calling for the construction of smaller jails in all five boroughs to replace Rikers, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday he doesn't think Staten Island should get one.
"I have no intention of opening a jail on Staten Island," de Blasio said at an unrelated press conference.
"We need the fewest facilities possible. We know of very few inmates from Staten Island. I want to see this move forward and figure out the fewest locations that will allow us to get off Rikers Island."
Councilman Joe Borelli, who came out against early plans to build a jail in his district, said he was glad to hear the news.
"I'm extremely happy to hear that the mayor came to this conclusion," he said. "It was a very common sense conclusion given the fact the site the Department of Corrections owns is far away from courts and just a small percentage of the population come from Staten Island."
Last month, de Blasio announced plans to close the notorious prison complex in a decade and reduce the city's jail population by about half — down to 5,000 — to make it happen.
A report released Friday by an independent commission convened by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito found the culture of violence and neglect at Rikers is so severe that the only solution is to close it.
The report called for new, more humanely designed jails in each of the boroughs to make it easier for inmates to have visits, meet their lawyers and travel to court.
It called for the largest facility to be built in Manhattan, with the smallest built on Staten Island.
The report did not specifically state where the new jails would be located, but DNAinfo previously reported the commission had identified four sites across the city.
It included an 18-acre section of the Teleport site in Travis — which currently hosts office buildings and three schools — as well as a site on Arthur Kill Road in Charleston.
"I am obviously pleased to hear the mayor has taken a jail in Staten Island off the table, and I take him at his word," Councilman Steven Matteo, whose district includes the Teleport, said in a statement.
"I will remain vigilant as this plan continues to be fleshed out to ensure we deter any negative impact on our borough, while continuing productive conversations with the administration about how we can improve services for our constituents."
