The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. December 19, 2014 U.S. Prosecutors Sue New York City over Abuse of Teens at Rikers Jail ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Federal prosecutors are suing New York City over the treatment of teenagers jailed at Rikers Island. The move follows a scathing Justice Department report which found a "deep-seated culture of violence" against young prisoners and recommended over 10 pages' worth of reforms. Earlier this week Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered a news conference at Rikers announcing the end of solitary confinement for 16- and 17-year-olds. But federal officials say the reforms are not coming fast enough, noting that 18-year-olds still face prolonged periods in solitary. .