IMPACTED NEW YORKERS AND ALLIES URGE MAYOR ADAMS TO REJECT NIMBYISM AND CONTINUE THE PLAN TO CLOSE RIKERS, INCLUDING REPLACING THE TOMBS
In response to a protest organized by some lower Manhattan groups in opposition to the plan to close Rikers, which includes replacing the Tombs with a redesigned jail equal in capacity, but with greater square footage to improve conditions of confinement, members of the Campaign to Close Rikers issued the following statements.
Anna Pastoressa, a member of Freedom Agenda, one of the organizations leading the Campaign to Close Rikers, and resident of lower Manhattan, said, “During the 6 years of my son’s incarceration at Rikers Island, his defense attorney refused to visit him there and never had a meeting with my son to prepare for the case. Visiting him there was a strain for our family too, travelling for hours back and forth each week. The Tombs, unfortunately, is also a decrepit dungeon. It lacks natural light, program space, and suitable visiting areas. The only thing good about that jail is that it’s not on Rikers. It must be torn down and replaced with a facility that is designed with human beings in mind. My son was remanded by the judge, and even an end to money bail - which I’ve advocated for - would not have secured his freedom. Many people are and will be involved in the criminal legal system even as we make progress to reduce incarceration. Building borough jails is a necessary step to protect human rights – along with accountability to make sure these jails are run differently – and we urge the Mayor to move quickly on both.”
Crystal Gooding, a member of Freedom Agenda, one of the organizations leading the Campaign to Close Rikers, and a resident of lower Manhattan, said, “As the partner of someone incarcerated at Rikers right now, I can say that although he is not deceased, due to the hurdles it takes to visit him there and keep him as an active father, many days it does feel like it. Borough-based facilities can keep families closer both by shortening the travel distance and creating better spaces for visiting. I urge the Mayor to expedite the plan to close Rikers, including putting in place programs in the community that can help people and reduce incarceration.”
Rabbi Andy Bachman, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Project Downtown, said, “The time has now come for our city to draw together and close Rikers Island once and for all. The only path forward is for each borough to do its part to support the families of the incarcerated, ease their pain, and work together for a vision of restorative justice that is right and fair for all. We Jews believe that each of us is made in the Divine Image and accordingly deserve dignity and decency on the path toward rehabilitation and the safety of all New Yorkers.”
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