Someone somewhere once said that New York City is the greatest city in the world.

Someone somewhere else once said that the degree of civilization in a society can be judged

by entering its prisons.

And if we're judging New York City by Reikers Island, we've got some issues.

It turned out to be the deadliest year for overdoses at Reikers in a decade.

Twenty-six people in custody or very recently released from custody have died.

You would be beat up in VNSL and be dead.

Ain't nobody would know.

That's scary.

We've talked about the deplorable conditions at Reikers' jails before on today's

plane. It was two years ago, and people keep dying there.

But now there's an opportunity for improvements.

Today, a federal judge hears arguments to strip control of Reikers from New York City

and its mayor, Eric Adams.

A federal takeover of Reikers Island coming up on the show.

Today, explained, Sean Ramis firm, we wanted to talk about Reikers and what it says about

incarceration in America.

So we reached out to Matt Katz who covers the jails on the island for Gothamist.

So much Reikers News going on right now, Sean.

There is a big hearing this week where a federal judge for the very first time will consider

a federal takeover of the city jails in New York City, the second biggest jail system in

the country, long-plague by a slew of problems, particularly violence.

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