alvin cruz placed in woman’s prison
Concerns Grow Over Safety of Female Inmates as Violent Offender is Placed in Women’s Facility
By TSR
New York, NY - Alvin Cruz, a 6’4” man charged with the fatal stabbing of a postal worker in a Harlem deli, is reportedly being placed in the Rose M. Singer Center—a facility designed for women—despite a history of violent behavior. This decision has sparked outrage and questions about the rights and safety of female inmates who are now expected to share space with someone accused of a violent crime.
The Rose M. Singer Center (RMSC), located on Rikers Island in New York City, is the main jail facility for women in the city’s correctional system. Established in 1988 and named after a prominent women’s advocate, the RMSC is tasked with housing female inmates, including those awaiting trial, serving short sentences, or detained for other legal reasons.
Rikers Island is located in the East River, between the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx in New York City. It is adjacent to LaGuardia Airport in Queens and connected to the mainland by the Rikers Island Bridge (also called the Francis Buono Memorial Bridge), which links it to the borough of the Bronx. Despite being geographically close to Queens, Rikers Island is officially part of the Bronx.
Incarcerated women, many of whom have experienced prior trauma or abuse, often face unique vulnerabilities while in custody. Introducing a violent individual with a known propensity for aggression into such an environment only compounds their risks and raises significant ethical and safety concerns. Critics argue that this placement prioritizes political correctness or administrative convenience over the well-being of women.
Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials are now facing mounting pressure to address these concerns and provide clear answers about how such decisions are made. Advocates are calling for greater transparency in the policies governing inmate placement and for reforms that ensure the safety of women and not make the spaces of women safe houses for violent trans-identified males. 