NYC’s Rikers Island jail gets a kid-friendly visitation room ahead of Mother’s Day

By TED SHAFFREY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The women’s section of Rikers Island is getting a redesigned and more kid-friendly visitation room ahead of Mother’s Day. Prison officials say a colorful, interactive play room will improve bonding between jailed mothers and their children. The visitation hub was designed and installed by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and replicates exhibitions at the museum’s home on the Upper West Side. Museum leaders say the exhibits teach preschool skills like communication, sharing and literacy. Only 370 of Rikers Island’s 6,000 jailed residents are women. Similar child-friendly exhibits are planned to be rolled out in men’s visitor centers on the island over the next year.