To find someone held at Rikers Island, use the New York City Department of Correction’s Person in Custody Lookup, then follow the facility’s specific rules for visits, calls, mail, and money. The Rikers Island inmate lookup and visits process runs entirely through the DOC: the online tool tells you where someone is housed, and separate procedures cover in-person visits, video visits (Televisits), attorney meetings, and everything you might want to send in.
Finding Someone in Custody
The DOC’s Person in Custody Lookup shows the current housing location and basic case information for anyone in DOC custody.1New York City Department of Correction. Person in Custody Lookup You can search by Book and Case number (often called a B&C number) or by NYSID number. If you don’t have either, the system also accepts a first and last name.2New York City Department of Correction. P.I.C Lookup
The results identify which specific facility on the island is holding the person. Housing assignments can change, so run the search again close to any planned visit or delivery.
Release and Transfer Alerts (VINE)
To be notified automatically when someone is released or transferred, register with the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system (VINE). Alerts come by phone, text, or email. Sign up by calling 888-846-3469 or through the VINELink website.3New York City Police Department. Resources and Services The service is open to anyone, not just crime victims.
Visiting in Person
Visit days are set by the last name of the person in custody. Check the DOC’s published schedule before traveling to confirm the day.4NYC Department of Correction. Visit a Person in Custody Every visit lasts one hour.5NYC Department of Correction. Visit Schedule
Visitors aged 16 or older need valid photo identification with a signature, such as a state-issued ID or a municipal ID card.4NYC Department of Correction. Visit a Person in Custody On arrival, visitors sign in on the facility’s visiting forms before going through security.
Getting to the Island
You cannot walk onto Rikers Island. The city runs free visitor buses from two pickup points: East 125th Street at 3rd Avenue in Harlem, and Jay Street between Fulton and Willoughby Streets in Brooklyn. One-way travel runs about 45 minutes from Harlem and around 60 minutes from Brooklyn, longer in traffic.6NYC Department of Correction. Visitor Transportation After passing the main entrance on Hazen Street in East Elmhurst, Queens, visitors board a facility shuttle to reach the specific jail building.
Security and Dress Code
Every visitor passes through metal detectors and X-ray screening, and all personal belongings must go into lockers before entering the visitation area. Clothing with metal, such as decorative buckles, studs, or underwire bras, can trigger the detector and slow you down, so dress simply.7New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. 7 CRR-NY 201.3 – Guidelines You will be turned away for:
- See-through or sheer clothing
- Bare midriffs or backs
- Shorts or skirts shorter than mid-thigh
- Attire with obscene, offensive, or derogatory language
- Bathing suits or bare feet
Bringing contraband, including cell phones or tobacco, onto the island is forbidden and can result in a permanent visitation ban.
Visiting with Children
Visiting groups are limited to two adults and one lap-sized child, or one adult and two children where at least one is small enough for a lap. A 16- or 17-year-old can bring a child under 16 only if the teenager is the child’s parent and the person being visited is also that child’s parent. In that case, the teenager must present their own identification (such as a birth certificate) plus a birth certificate for the child.4NYC Department of Correction. Visit a Person in Custody
Video Visits (Televisits)
If you cannot travel to Rikers, the DOC offers free video visits called Televisits. Submit the online request form on the DOC website and pick three possible dates. Requests can only be for the upcoming week, and the visit is not booked until you receive a confirmation email with a date, time, and access link. If nothing arrives within 24 hours of your last requested date, submit a new form with different dates.8NYC Department of Correction. Televisits Request forms are not processed on Mondays or Tuesdays.
Attorney Visits
Attorneys meet with clients through video teleconferencing (VTC) sessions Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sessions last 30 minutes and must be scheduled at least 48 hours ahead through the online VTC Scheduling Form. Confirmation comes as a calendar invite from the DOC Criminal Justice Bureau.9Department of Correction. Microsoft Teams Video Teleconferencing
If documents need a signature from the client, call the facility beforehand for instructions on where to fax or email them; the client must sign in the attorney’s presence during the VTC session. Missing an appointment without canceling can affect future use of the service.
Phones, Tablets, and Messages
People in custody at Rikers have access to phone calls. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision provides three free 15-minute calls per week for people in state facilities; NYC DOC policies may differ, so check with the specific Rikers facility for its current call rules and any costs.
The DOC also runs a tablet program. People in general population receive a loaned tablet at no cost, with access to educational materials, approved media like music and e-books, and secure messaging with family and friends. The tablets have no internet access and run on an independent secure network.10New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Incarcerated Individual Tablet Program
Secure messages can run up to 6,000 characters. Family members can also send 30-second video clips called Videograms. One important caveat: all tablet and kiosk activity is monitored, recorded, and retained. Even messages to attorneys sent through the tablet are not treated as privileged legal correspondence.10New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Incarcerated Individual Tablet Program For confidential legal communication, use the VTC system or an in-person attorney visit.
Sending Mail
Every envelope must show the person’s full legal name, their Book and Case number (or NYSID number), and the full address of the facility where they are housed.11New York City Department of Correction. Write to a Person in Custody Missing details can delay or block delivery.
Some items are prohibited outright. Polaroid photographs are not allowed, and photos cannot show the incarcerated person or any other person in custody. Regular photos must be 4 by 6 inches or smaller. Food, toiletries, and cash cannot be mailed; food and hygiene items have to be bought through the commissary.12NYC Department of Correction. Mailing Packages to Persons in Custody
Books and Packages
Books, legal publications, magazines, newspapers, and periodicals can be sent or brought in. Magazines, newspapers, periodicals, and pamphlets go through media review. All packages are searched, cannot weigh more than 15 pounds, and cannot measure more than 24 inches wide, 12 inches high, and 24 inches deep.12NYC Department of Correction. Mailing Packages to Persons in Custody
Depositing Money for Commissary
Commissary accounts let people in custody buy supplemental food and hygiene products. Family members can add money several ways:13NYC Department of Correction. Send Money
- Online or by phone through JPay (www.jpay.com, 800-574-5729) or Western Union (www.westernunion.com, 800-325-6000), by credit or debit card. For Western Union transfers, the city code is NYCITYDOC.
- In person at any JPay or Western Union office, paying with cash, credit, or debit.
- Through kiosks at DOC facilities. JPay kiosks accept cash only; other provider kiosks accept both cash and credit cards.
- At a DOC cashier’s window inside the facility.
When someone is released, the DOC has to help them recover any unused commissary funds. Up to $200 can be handed over immediately in cash, and anything above that comes by check. Formerly incarcerated individuals pay no fees to retrieve their own funds and have 90 days to pick up a check in person before they need to request a new one.14New York City Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code Title 9 – Criminal Justice
Posting Bail
Bail can be paid at any DOC-designated location regardless of which facility is holding the person. The Rikers Island Central Cashier and the Manhattan Detention Complex at 125 White Street both accept bail 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Borough courthouse locations run on shorter hours:15NYC Department of Correction. Post Bail
- Bronx Criminal Court: 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Brooklyn Courts (120 Schermerhorn Street): 7 days a week, 8:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Queens Courts (126-01 Queens Boulevard): Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You do not need to go to the specific Rikers building where the person is being held.
Picking Up Personal Property
If the person is still in custody and wants a family member to collect their belongings, they must complete a Property Release Form at the facility authorizing the pickup. If the person has already been discharged, the family member needs a notarized letter granting permission instead.16NYC Department of Correction. Property Pick Up
For bulk property, call 311 to schedule an appointment. You’ll need the person’s Book and Case number or NYSID number. Scheduling gives you a three-day pickup window starting at noon three business days later. Before heading out, call the Samuel L. Perry Center Property Pick-up Area at 718-546-8811 to confirm the authorization form arrived. Valuable property for released individuals is stored at the Perry Center and can be picked up around the clock without an appointment.16NYC Department of Correction. Property Pick Up
Watch the deadline. A discharged person must request a property pickup appointment within 30 days of release. Missing that window makes recovering belongings much harder.
Medical Concerns Go Through a Different Agency
Medical and mental health care at Rikers is not run by the DOC. NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services (CHS) handles all healthcare inside the facility.17NYC Health + Hospitals. NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services If you have questions or concerns about a loved one’s treatment, call CHS at 347-774-7000. The DOC does not handle medical complaints or treatment decisions.
A Note on the Rikers Closure Plan
In 2019, the New York City Council passed legislation requiring the closure of all jail facilities on Rikers Island. The original deadline was the end of 2026, later extended to August 2027, with four smaller borough-based jails in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan meant to replace it. As of early 2026, none of the replacements are close to finished: Brooklyn is furthest along, with structural steel expected in spring 2026 and an estimated opening around 2029; Queens and the Bronx are targeted for 2031; Manhattan is not expected until 2032. City officials have acknowledged that the August 2027 closure deadline will almost certainly not be met. Rikers continues to operate as the city’s primary detention facility, and all the lookup, visiting, mail, and commissary procedures above remain in effect.