New York City jail leaders have failed to address “pervasive dysfunction” in the system — with the troubling situation even worsening under the Adams administration, the feds charged in a scathing new report.

The federal monitor overseeing Rikers Island sounded the alarm about a “disturbing level of regression” at the lockup in its report filed Monday — which asks a federal judge to threaten to hold the Department of Correction in contempt as a way to force it into compliance.

The near 300-page filing in Manhattan federal court is the latest volley in an escalating back-and-forth between monitor Steve Martin and DOC Commissioner Louis Molina over rampant violence and excessive use of force in city lockups.

“The current state of affairs and rates of use of force, stabbings and slashings, fights, assaults on staff, and in-custody deaths remain extraordinarily high—they are not typical, they are not expected, they are not normal,” Martin wrote.

The monitor added that he and his team are “concerned” about the “normalization” of the current dangerous conditions. 

“Real harm is occurring to real people in real time, and that cautious optimism that meaningful change can occur in this system has significantly diminished given the current climate of regression in key areas and the lack of sustained progress in others coupled with an increasing and troubling lack of transparency,” he wrote. 

Martin implored Manhattan federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain to step in and start the process of holding the city agency in contempt to “coerce compliance” with the monitor’s recommendations — and suggested that further action may be necessary.

The troubled city jail system has recently been under threat of a federal takeover, which would be an extraordinary move.

The monitor was appointed by the courts nearly a decade ago to issue reports on violence in city jails and use of force by corrections officers. 

“There is no question that some progress has been made,” Martin wrote about the last nearly eight years of oversight, “but many of the initiatives required by the Action Plan remain incomplete or have not been addressed, and worse, there has been a disturbing level of regression in a number of essential practices.”

“The pace of reform has stagnated instead of accelerated in a number of key areas,” the monitor wrote.

Monday’s report provides an in-depth look at Mayor Eric Adams’ plan from last year to address violence at Rikers and other Big Apple lockups. 

The DOC has made some strides in addressing sick leave policies, hiring experienced staff, modernizing scheduling and clearing the disciplinary backlog, according to the monitor.

However, the assessment from the watchdog found the progress “not substantial,” naming a lack of accountability and of quality training as two key failures. 

Additionally, the monitor charged the DOC remains on a “sorely inadequate” track when it comes to solutions for addressing violence and use of force by guards.

The damning report also slams the DOC for an “inability or unwillingness to identify the objective evidence regarding the pervasive dysfunction and harm that continues to occur daily in the jails.”

In May, the monitor issued a special report, also a rare step, in which it slammed the DOC for its handling of five violent incidents over a six-day span and the agency’s lack of communication with the monitor in the hours and days following.

Molina had suggested that the monitor shelve the special report, saying it would cause “great harm [to the department] at a time when we are making great strides.” But Martin refused and issued the report in late May.

The DOC referred a request for comment to City Hall.

“While we are still reviewing this recently released report, we are prepared to fully defend against any contempt motion and the record will reflect the important and necessary steps New York City has taken to make continued progress,” a spokesperson for City Hall said.