1.) How are you connected to this movement?  

I have been working to close Rikers Island since 2015, five years after having been detained at the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island. I spent over a decade cycling in and out of incarceration, addiction and homelessness as a young person. During the four months I was detained on Rikers, I experienced violence, trauma and inhumane treatment – all cycles I knew all too well.  Our current system of incarceration does not help people or communities; it only further exacerbates the trauma, violence, poverty and despair that we have often experienced for decades.  

Now as a Coordinating Campaign member, I educate community members throughout the City about how we can improve public safety through decarceration efforts and transformative justice. Through my work I am not only trying to shut down the country’s largest penal colony, I am working to reimagine a system of oppression into one that heals people and communities. 

2.) Why should Rikers close?  

Rikers Island is a penal colony built on top of a landfill. The Island is toxic and unhealthful for all people who are detained, work in or visit. In addition, the Island is very difficult to get to – for providers, family members and attorneys. People have to take entire days off of work in order to visit a loved one. The buildings are also archaic and cannot be renovated in a way that promotes humanity.  

Having smaller borough-based facilities will allow greater access to programming and support which reduce both violence and recidivism. It will also allow the community to play a larger role in advocacy and reentry. Detained/incarcerated people are our community members, and we should ensure they are being treated fairly and humanely. 

3.) What is your vision for a more just and equitable post-Rikers New York City?  

My vision for a more just and equitable post-Rikers New York City is one where people are provided with the treatment, resources and support they need to be successful for themselves, their families and their communities. I envision a system that addresses the root causes of incarceration, and provides restorative justice as opposed to punitive measures. I envision a City that provides all New Yorkers with a fair chance at housing, employment, education, treatment and so on. A City that we can all be proud of to call home.