The carceral history of Rikers Island, which now houses nine of the New York City jails, begins with garbage and forced labor. The Municipal Farm on Rikers Island, operated by the Department of Public Charities and Correction, opened in 1884 and served as a “prison farm.” Penal farms were common at that time, but what was not common was the simultaneous use of the island as a landfill. Most of the landmass that now comprises Rikers was formed from the refuse of New Yorkers. As the amount of garbage grew the initially productive farm became plagued by rats and other pests—not to mention fetid smells and poor air quality. This history is felt today on the island, as there are shunts into the earth that spew sickening steam, a constant reminder of its origins.

赖克斯岛的监狱历史，现在是纽约市九所监狱的所在地，它的历史始于垃圾和强迫劳动。由公共慈善和惩教部经营的位于赖克斯岛的市政农场于 1884 年开放，用作“监狱农场”。当时流放农场很常见，但不常见的是同时将该岛用作垃圾填埋场。现在组成赖克斯的大部分陆地都是由纽约人的垃圾形成的。随着垃圾量的增加，最初生产的农场受到老鼠和其他害虫的困扰——更不用说恶臭和空气质量差了。今天在岛上感受到了这段历史，因为有分流到地球，喷出令人作呕的蒸汽，不断提醒它的起源。