7. Hart Island was Maintained by Inmates from Rikers Island

Two times a week, the newly dead are brought by ferry to a dock on the eastern side of Hart Island. Prior to the 2021 transfer of management to the Parks Department, this ferry also brought inmates from Rikers Island. The inmates dug the trenches and buried the bodies stacked in threes, three feet under the ground. In recent times, Rikers Island prisoners were paid for this work, which used to be a daily activity in the 1800s. The New York Times has a great map showing the location of burials on the island since 1869, derived from maps at the The Hart Island Project.