A Relic of Oppression Leaves New York, But Its Legacy Continues

Bronx, NY – Today, the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center (VCBC), known colloquially as “The Boat,” was towed away from Hunts Point to become scrap metal. The Boat was an 800-bed jail barge that was brought to the Bronx in 1992 as a temporary facility to reduce overcrowding in city jails. It wasn’t decommissioned until 2023, operating for over thirty years. Juval O. Scott, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, issued the following statement: 

“The Boat was brought to the Bronx in 1992 as a temporary facility. It leaves New York City 33 years later, having caged tens of thousands of people unable to afford bail – mostly Black and brown men – for months and sometimes years while awaiting trial. We represented many of these New Yorkers, visiting them in what amounted to a modern-day slave ship owned by the City of New York. The conditions of the Boat were deplorable, leading to the deaths of multiple New Yorkers. Its removal closes this shameful chapter in our history. Yet while we stand with those who we have represented through the years whose lives were ruined by this relic of oppression, we are clear-eyed that its legacy continues unabated on Rikers Island, where at least 12 people have died this year. The City must stay the course, honor its commitments, and close Rikers Island by 2027. And the State must resist efforts to continue rolling back reforms that have done so much to prevent New Yorkers from being caged in these atrocious facilities.” 

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