Christopher Drew

About the author: Christopher Drew is a reporter for the New York Times. He writes on a vast array of subjects, including politics and criminal justice.

Rikers Island in New York is a prison that was once known for violence and riots. However, in five short years, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York and others have cracked down on prisoner violence and made Rikers safer. New supervisors have instituted no-nonsense control devices such as pepper spray and stun guns. New technology allows guards to search for contraband more thoroughly than ever before. The strict program has lowered violence and inmate attacks substantially, creating a safer environment for both guards and prisoners.

Just five years after city officials braced for riots on Rikers Island, where inmates routinely slit each other with razors, gangs were a menace and...