New York City jails are deadlier now than they have been in decades, with 19 detainees reportedly dying last year in custody or right after their release, the highest rate in 25 years. Many died at Rikers, which has been plagued by overdoses, violence, and inhumane conditions for years. So how did things get this bad and is there hope for a turnaround with the jail complex set to close later this decade? Award-winning journalists Graham Rayman and Reuven Blau have tried to answer these pressing questions, conducting over 100 interviews with former detainees and corrections officers to tell their stories in their own words. They join us to discuss these firsthand accounts, which are the foundation of “Rikers: An Oral History.” We are also joined by two voices featured in the book: Martin Cregg, a retired Department of Corrections gang investigator, and Angel Tueros, a human rights and social justice activist detained at Rikers in the 1990s.