Women from Rikers Island step into a ward in Elmhurst Hospital Center and they are no longer seen as detainees, but patients.

“Once they are here, they are considered patients,” Captain Nicola McKenzie of the Department of Correction told NY1. “They don’t say inmates or individuals. They are patients that need help. That’s what they are.” 

They call it D-11, an intensive inpatient psychiatric unit for women from Rikers Island, run by Elmhurst Hospital and the Department of Correction.

NY1 got an exclusive look inside.

“Because it was closed for so long, we decided to enhance the unit and make it safer for patients,” said Dr. Vladimir Gasca, director of behavioral health and psychiatry at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst.

Closed for quite some time — almost four years — a casualty of COVID hitting Elmhurst hard and then a staffing crisis at DOC.

On Tuesday, it’s slated to reopen.

“We were managing the best that we can during the pandemic without the unit, but I think this brings back equity, we really need to provide the same service to males and females,” said Dr. Gasca.

“And you know right now in New York City there is a big topic of mental health and this is a great place especially for the females that are incarcerated in DOC custody for them to come and to get the treatment that they need,” said Captain McKenzie.

The unit is meant to address what is one of the largest challenges gripping the city’s Department of Correction, which is already overwhelmed with controversy and violence.

For years, the number of detainees on Rikers Island with serious mental illness has been on the rise.

In November, 21% of detainees had a serious mental health diagnosis.

Now, 12 women in the most need will get care at the center.

“I know that Rikers has really been waiting for us to open because they have been treating ladies there that really need inpatient care,” said Dr. Gasca. “So we anticipate it to be full the first few months.”

Advocates said the reopening of the unit is a good thing, but they question why it took so long. They are also skeptical women got the care they needed in the interim on Rikers.

While they were closed, they renovated. Every fixture and window all geared to minimize self harm, the blankets too.

None of the doors to the rooms close. The women are never locked in.

There will be programs, like art therapy and yoga.

The changes at the center, they hope, will help bring change to Rikers as well.