Rikers Island Facilities Serving Kings County
Kings County is Brooklyn, but local jail custody for Brooklyn defendants is handled through the New York City Department of Correction instead of a county sheriff roster. DOC operates the city jail system for all five boroughs. Its public facility list places the Rikers Island commands off Hazen Street in East Elmhurst, Queens, while Brooklyn court activity remains tied to Kings County docket and courthouse records. That distinction matters because a person arrested in Brooklyn may be physically housed on Rikers Island, appear in Brooklyn Criminal Court, and still need a citywide DOC search rather than a county-only jail roster.
The Rikers Island group includes Anna M. Kross Center, Eric M. Taylor Center, George R. Vierno Center, North Infirmary Command, Otis Bantum Correctional Center, Robert N. Davoren Complex, Rose M. Singer Center, and West Facility. DOC also lists Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward and Elmhurst Hospital Prison Ward for people in DOC custody who require hospital-level care. The practical visitor destination for the Rikers campus is the Rikers Island Visit Center near Hazen Street and 19th Avenue unless DOC gives a more specific instruction for the person's current facility.
Public DOC pages reviewed did not publish a rated capacity for each Rikers building. Use the NYC Board of Correction daily census dashboard and DOC statistics pages for current citywide and facility-level population reporting. Individual housing can change after intake because of classification, medical review, court production, security needs, discipline, transfer, or release. A building name seen in the lookup should be treated as the current holding location, not a permanent placement.
How to Find Someone in DOC Custody
The correct public search for these city jail facilities is the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup. It is the official route for a person currently in DOC custody. DOC and NYC311 state that it is not the search tool for someone still in police custody after a very recent arrest, someone transferred to state prison, someone in federal custody, or someone held only by immigration authorities.
- Open the DOC Person in Custody Lookup or the DOC inmate lookup landing page.
- Search by NYSID or book and case number when that identifier is available from court paperwork.
- If no identifier is known, search by first name and last name.
- Review the matching record for holding location, court date, court location, charges, book and case number, NYSID, release date, bail, and mailing address.
- If the arrest happened within the last 72 hours and no DOC result appears, use NYC311's recent-arrest path because the person may still be in NYPD custody.
The lookup may show a borough docket prefix. Kings County cases commonly use the KN prefix. If a record points to a Brooklyn court date but a Rikers holding location, the person is still in the city jail system. If the person is no longer listed, check the New York State DOCCS lookup for a state-prison transfer, the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator for federal custody, ICE ODLS for immigration detention, and VINE for custody notification.
The official DOC lookup form shows the name and identifier search fields used for city custody, so the surrounding records steps should begin with the live DOC form rather than a commercial jail roster.
After a matching DOC record is found, use the holding-location and mailing-address fields from that result before sending mail or traveling to Central Visits.
Address, Contact, and Directions
DOC headquarters and visitor directions are separate from Brooklyn court locations. Family visitors normally use Central Visits on Rikers Island. Bail for a Brooklyn criminal case may be posted at the Brooklyn Courts bail window, which is different from traveling to Rikers for a visit.
DOC Headquarters
75-20 Astoria Blvd.
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
718-546-1500
OCGS Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; 311 for city services and complaints.
Rikers Island Visit Center
Hazen Street and 19th Avenue
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
Use 311 or DOC instructions before travel
Q100 to the Visit Center; Q101 reaches Hazen Street with transfer.
Brooklyn Bail Window
120 Schermerhorn, Room 101C, 1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Open 7 days, 8:30 a.m.-1 a.m.
Use for DOC-listed bail posting for Brooklyn cases.
Rikers Central Visits and Legal Visits
Rikers visiting generally runs through Central Visits rather than a separate public schedule for each building. Visits are walk-in only on the reviewed DOC pages, and visitors must register during the stated registration window. Arriving after registration hours can mean no visit even if visiting is otherwise open that day. Bring valid identification, expect security screening, and check the current DOC visit page before leaving because operational changes can affect access.
| Visit type | Schedule or rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In-person family visits | Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday | Walk-in registration required through Central Visits. |
| Registration hours | Wed/Thu 1 p.m.-6 p.m.; Sat/Sun 7 a.m.-12 p.m. | Visitors outside registration hours are not eligible for that day's visit. |
| Visit frequency | Detainees 3 visits per week; sentenced individuals 2 visits per week | Subject to DOC rules and the person's status. |
| Televisits | Friday 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Request form required with three potential dates for the upcoming week. |
| Attorney and legal visits | 7 days a week, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. | Last visit starts at 7 p.m.; applies in DOC facilities. |
Mail, Packages, Phone, and Money
Use the mailing address returned in the DOC lookup for the individual person. Mail should include the person's name and identifying information, especially the book and case number when available. DOC package rules are restrictive: toiletries and food must be purchased through commissary, cash is not accepted by mail, and NYC311 describes package size limits and Central Visits drop-off procedures. Clothing restrictions are detailed and can include bans on pockets, hoods, belts, logos, strings, metal, or buttons for certain clothing categories.
| Service | DOC rule or channel |
|---|---|
| Mail address | Use the address shown in the DOC lookup record for the person in custody. |
| Packages | Permissible packages may be mailed or dropped at the Bail and Package Reception area next to Central Visits during in-person visiting hours. |
| Package limits | Under 15 pounds and fewer than 24 inches wide, 12 inches high, and 24 inches deep. |
| Money by mail | Money order or bank check payable to the incarcerated person with book and case number; no cash or personal checks. |
| Money transfer | JPay and Western Union channels are documented by DOC/NYC311; fees may apply and DOC says it does not receive those fees. |
| In-person deposit | Rikers Island Central Cashier's Office inside Central Visit House; NYC311 notes a kiosk is available 24/7. |
Jail Records, FOIL, and Records Requests
The DOC lookup is a current-custody tool, not a complete records archive. For jail records not displayed in the lookup, use DOC FOIL through NYC OpenRecords and identify the person by name, NYSID, book and case number, facility, and date range when known. Requests for arrest reports may belong with NYPD, while formal court filings and dispositions are court records rather than jail records. Medical records for a person treated in custody may require Correctional Health Services procedures and are not handled like ordinary public jail data.
Some information may be withheld or redacted under New York public-records law, court sealing rules, privacy protections, safety concerns, or medical confidentiality. Criminal Procedure Law section 160.50 can seal official records after a favorable termination unless an exception applies. When a Brooklyn case has moved from jail intake to court prosecution, compare the DOC book and case number with Criminal Court or Kings County Clerk records because charges and case status can change after arraignment.
Population and Conditions Oversight
Rikers population reporting is citywide and facility-based, not a simple Kings County-only bed count. Official sources cited in the research include the Board of Correction daily census dashboard, DOC statistics and compliance pages, and NYC Comptroller dashboard updates. The Comptroller reported 6,692 people in DOC custody as of December 1, 2024, and 7,095 people as of April 1, 2025. Those are system figures, not capacities for AMKC, EMTC, GRVC, or any individual Rikers command.
The Board of Correction minimum standards cover topics such as classification, overcrowding, recreation, visits, correspondence, packages, health care, mental health care, telephone access, legal services, enhanced supervision housing, punitive segregation, and sexual-abuse standards. DOC public reports also include programming, discharge planning, restrictive housing, commissary, grievances, PREA, use of force, security indicators, and demographics. These sources explain the conditions framework for people in custody, but the live lookup remains the way to confirm where one person is housed today.
Note: Confirm custody, current housing, visit access, and mail address through DOC before traveling or sending property.