New York City Jail System to Replace “Inmate” With “Person in Custody” Throughout Regulations

New York City’s Board of Correction is undertaking a comprehensive revision of its jail rulebook to eliminate the term “inmate” in favor of “person in custody,” continuing a language modernization initiative that began in 2021. The board’s latest proposal would extend the terminology changes across additional chapters of its Minimum Standards, reflecting a broader commitment to person-first language that avoids defining individuals solely by their incarceration status.

The 2021 effort established the foundational principle that people confined in Department of Correction facilities should be recognized as people first, with their incarceration serving as a circumstance rather than a defining characteristic. Under that initial phase, the board replaced numerous references to “inmates” with alternatives such as “people,” “persons,” and “individuals in custody.” The current proposal would apply similar revisions to chapters 2 and 3 of the regulations.

Specific changes reshape section titles and references throughout the rulebook. A section previously titled “Classification of Prisoners” now reads “Classification of People in Custody,” while the regulations formally define the term as “any person confined in a facility.” The terminology shift does not alter jail operations, housing policies, or disciplinary procedures but serves as a modernization effort aligned with the board’s stated philosophy.

New York state preceded the city’s efforts when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in 2022 replacing “inmate” with “incarcerated individual” across state law, amending dozens of provisions. The city’s selection of “person in custody” differs from the state’s terminology choice, though both reflect the same fundamental approach to language reform in the criminal justice system.

The terminology debate gained fresh attention following a FIFA World Cup semifinal watch party held at Rikers Island in December, attended by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. During the event, Mamdani remarked that attendees “are New Yorkers, and they will be New Yorkers when they get out of Rikers,” underscoring the philosophical underpinning of the language initiative.