According to my review of public records, average hold times at our jail are longer than what was documented at Rikers Island in 2023. The rate of stabbings at the jail is roughly equal to the rate at New York City jails, a DOJ investigation found — and the actual extent of violence is likely far worse, because both the county and the state have no way to accurately track every stabbing, rape or assault. On top of this, residents here are nearly three times more likely to be incarcerated here than they are in NYC. NYC jails hold more than 6,000 people across a city of 8.3 million. Richland County is currently holding around 1,010 people across a county of less than half a million.