The New York City Board of Correction is proposing to remove the word "inmate" from its jail regulations, replacing it with the phrase "person in custody" as part of a broader push to avoid language deemed to define people by their incarceration status. The change extends an effort that began in 2021, when the term was first dropped from parts of the city's rulebook, and reflects a wider trend among some criminal justice reform advocates who argue that terminology such as "inmate" can carry stigmatising connotations.

The proposal would apply the revised wording across the city's entire jail rulebook rather than in isolated sections, marking a more comprehensive rewrite than the earlier 2021 change. The move has drawn criticism from commentators who view it as an unnecessary or symbolic gesture, with the debate unfolding against a backdrop of separate controversy over New York City's criminal justice system, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani's recent visit to Rikers Island.