The New York City Board of Correction is working to remove the term “inmate” from jail regulations, opting for “person in custody” instead. The initiative aims to shift focus from defining individuals by their incarceration.

This proposal continues efforts from 2021 when the Board began altering its Minimum Standards to avoid labeling people by their incarceration status. The Board emphasized that those in custody are people first, and incarceration should not be their defining aspect.

People in DOC custody are people first and the circumstance of their incarceration is not their defining feature

As part of this language change, terms like “people,” “persons,” and “individuals in custody” replace “inmate” throughout the regulations. For instance, the section previously called “Classification of Prisoners” is now “Classification of People in Custody.” According to the rules, a “person in custody” refers to anyone confined in a facility.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, speaking at a World Cup event on Rikers Island, underscored that people in custody remain New Yorkers. The terminology update aims to modernize the regulatory language without altering jail operations, housing, or discipline procedures.

New York City’s change mirrors a broader trend. In 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law to replace “inmate” with “incarcerated individual” across state laws, though NYC prefers “person in custody.”

The adjustments align with the Board’s goal to reflect its philosophy that incarceration should not solely define individuals. Requests for feedback on the term preference between “person in custody” and “incarcerated individual,” have been made to several relevant bodies.

Reporter Greg Wehner of Fox News Digital covers U.S. news and crime, focusing on major community-shaping stories.