New Kew Gardens Jail Proposal Calls For 1,150 Beds, City Says

KEW GARDENS, QUEENS — A new jail planned for Kew Gardens will have a capacity of 1,150 detainees, down from the 1,437 beds previously planned, the city said Friday.

The cut is a response to the state legislature's move to end the use of cash bail for nonviolent offenders, meaning most people charged with misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies won't be held in jail while they await trial, according to the Mayor's Office for Criminal Justice.

The city estimates the city's detainee population will be about 4,000 by the year 2026, when it plans to close the notorious detention facilities on Rikers Island.

The City Planning Commission will soon vote on whether to approve the land-use application for the four jails and advance it to a City Council vote, which is the last step in the review process.

Plans first called for a 1,510-bed jail in Kew Gardens with an infirmary to serve inmates from five borough complexes, but the city cut nearly 100 beds and the infirmary after discussions with City Council Member Karen Koslowitz.

The proposed jail at 126-02 82nd Ave. is one of four new jails proposed citywide as part of a long-term plan to close the jails on Rikers.

Some advocates say they doubt the city will stay true to its promise to close Rikers, since there is nothing legally obligating officials to follow through on that pledge.