One of the most controversial and notorious jails in America, Rikers Island, has stood on a 416-acre strip of land in the east river since its founding in 1932. Its long-standing history has made the structure a figure in the ongoing debate surrounding prison reform and restorative justice. When former mayor Bill DeBlasio approved the closure of Rikers in 2017 Architectural Digest writer, Eva Fedderly, was among those who believed it was a step towards a more humane future.