SURVIVORS OF RIKERS, DIRECTLY IMPACTED FAMILIES, AND ALLIES DEMAND CLOSURE OF RIKERS ISLAND AT PACKED RALLY AHEAD OF STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
Today, as Mayor Adams prepared to give his State of the City address, members of the Campaign to Close Rikers gathered outside of the venue to call on the Mayor to deliver on his legal and moral obligation to close Rikers Island. Participants included people previously incarcerated at Rikers, family members of people who died in NYC jails, organizations providing services to people held at and and returning from Rikers, faith leaders, and other allies.
Advocates called on the Mayor to pursue strategic investments and initiatives to safely reduce the jail population (including funding supportive housing and community-based treatment) and to move forward decisively with implementing the plan, approved in 2019, to close the Rikers jails and replace New York City’s existing but decrepit borough jails.
As a candidate, Mayor Adams spoke about wanting to “close the pipeline that feeds Rikers,” and repeatedly stated his support for the plan to close Rikers and his commitment to proceeding with the borough-based jails plan and the closure of the Rikers Island jails by 2027. But the mayor has recently questioned those plans, talked about a “Plan B,” and indicated that he will ask the City Council to “reassess” the plan approved in 2019.
While the Mayor has questioned the feasibility of reducing the jail population, he has not made substantive “upstream” investments in treatment, housing, or other preventative measures, and has not taken action at the city level to reduce case delays. Data shows that over half of the people detained in city jails have a mental health diagnosis, and over 1,000 have a serious mental illness - up more than 20% since the Mayor took office. Furthermore, over 1,000 people incarcerated at New York City jails have been detained for more than a year pretrial.
19 people died in (or immediately after being released from) DOC custody during the mayor’s first year in office, exceeding the 16 deaths in city jails in 2021, and constituting the highest death rate in city jails in 25 years.
“Crumbling facilities, mismanagement, and a culture of violence created a humanitarian crisis at Rikers that destroys lives every single day. The decision to close Rikers – a decision I voted for – was the result of a hard-fought campaign led by formerly incarcerated individuals and remains as urgent today as it was when the City committed to it in 2019. The data published by my office on a monthly basis shows little to no progress on key issues, from staffing challenges to access to medical care, yet we continue to spend billions on a failing system. This Administration cannot turn away from the moral and legal imperative to close Rikers Island permanently,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.
“There is no more time for excuses,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Every day we let pass is another day a family spends wondering if their child makes it back home alive, hoping their loved one won’t be burdened with the lifelong trauma that inevitably comes from the briefest of stints. This city is failing our people, and I stand in solidarity with the advocates from all over New York and this nation as we reject anything but a clear plan to close Rikers once and for all.”
“For decades, organizers and elected leaders have been fighting to close Rikers Island, and in 2019, the City Council codified a timeline for closure and transition to more humane facilities that would connect people to their communities. We will not throw our hands up and say that Rikers is an intractable problem, or support the Administration’s path forward on arresting more people, while slashing funding for social services providers. City Council has charted a path forward, and we have the tools needed to responsibly decarcerate and build a more fair criminal legal system and safer communities,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera, Chair of the Council Committee on Criminal Justice.
"With the highest death rate in 25 years, it’s clear there is no such thing as a Plan B for closing Rikers," said Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez. "The incarcerated population there has only increased, which is yet another example of Mayor Adams reneging on campaign promises, and weakening not just widely-supported plans of action, but also enshrined laws and budget promises that the City Council voted on democratically.”
Council Member Gale A. Brewer said, “As Manhattan Borough President, I submitted a ULURP statement in support of the four borough plan and closing Rikers Island. I convened many hearings and meetings on the topic with community members, advocates, and the City administration. As Council Member, my position has not changed.”
“Aside from the clear legal obligation the City has to close Rikers Island, it also has a moral duty to do so immediately,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “This Administration has proven incapable of handling the ongoing humanitarian crisis plaguing our City’s jails, specifically at Rikers Island––a place that claimed the lives of 19 individuals last year. Now, Mayor Adams has indicated he no longer sees a need to shut down this tortuous facility despite signaling support for our historic plan to shut it down during his campaign. Yet, this stubborn change in policy is in line with that of a mayor less concerned with making true investments in our communities, and more inclined to advocate for policies that send Black and brown New Yorkers to Rikers. The Council will continue the fight to close Rikers.”
“Last year, 19 people died at Rikers. That is 19 people whose lives were cut short because of this City’s inability to deliver on its promise to close Rikers in a swift and humane fashion,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “Despite the City’s legal obligation, the Mayor has said the Council should ‘reassess’ the timetable to close Rikers - condemning even more people to a death sentence on that island. For years we have demanded an end to the violence at Rikers and this Council will deliver on its legal mandate to close the jail complex for good.”
“We need to promote humanity and respect in our justice system and close Rikers now. For years, we’ve seen horrific and inhumane conditions at Rikers Island jails, where 19 people needlessly died last year while awaiting trial,” said Council Member Julie Won. “90% of people held at Rikers are awaiting trial, with an average custody time of 285 days. The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to close Rikers and end the warehousing of pretrial detainees and those who can’t afford to post bail. ‘Reassessing’ the plan that the City Council approved in 2019 is not an option. The City must close Rikers Island by 2027 and reduce the jail population.”
Council Member Shekar Krishnan said, "There is only one way to get out of the crisis at Rikers: decarcerate now and close it, the crisis that is a stain on our City, once and for all. I am proud to stand with advocates and impacted communities, who are tirelessly advocating for the closure and decarceration of the Rikers Island complex. I hope to hear the Mayor speak to meeting the goals of closing Rikers during today’s State of the City address. Because to date, little has been done to address this situation and move us towards the legally mandated closing of Rikers Island by 2027. The work must start now. The closure of Rikers Island is urgent.”
Amariliz Tavirez, sister of Erick Tavira, said, “My brother, Erick Tavira, was the 17th case on Rikers Island last year. He died on November 22 of 2022 in the custody of the Department of Corrections. He was isolated and left unsupervised and alone in a mental facility on the Island. My brother needed proper treatment, not Rikers Island which is where an ask for help at a hospital got him.”
Darren Mack, Co-Director of Freedom Agenda, said "When the mayor questions whether or not we can reduce the jail population enough to close Rikers, what he really means is he's not sure he wants to try. We know what works - supportive housing, well-resourced schools, real economic opportunities. And this is a moment where New Yorkers will see if he meant what he said about going "upstream," or if he is going to continue cutting funding to schools and social services and arguing for more incarceration. Does he actually believe in investing in our people, or is going to keep pushing the old superpredator narrative to convince us that thousands of Black and Brown people need to be banished to Rikers?"
“As a mother who lost my son to gun violence, as a youth counselor, and as a New Yorker, I know that funneling more young men through a place like Rikers will only perpetuate cycles of violence and trauma in our communities,” said Peggy Herrera, a member of Freedom Agenda. “We have to stop just looking at the harm a person has done and looking for how to punish them. Public safety is about finding the root causes of violence and addressing untreated trauma."
“As the City acknowledges and works to address a growing mental health crisis, it is more important than ever to remain steadfast in our commitment to close Rikers Island. So many of those languishing on Rikers Island are living with mental health concerns, and Rikers is no place for adequate care, only worsening this crisis. To turn our backs on closing Rikers indicates that this administration would rather detain people pre-trial rather than connect them with quality care and compassion that aid in their recovery,” said Jordyn Rosenthal MSW, Advocacy Coordinator at Community Access.
“In the past two years, there have been 35 needless deaths on Rikers. Thirty-five human beings. This is a symptom of a larger issue: Rikers is a broken institution. As a city, we need to move in unison towards a goal to decarcerate and provide much needed services that further rehabilitation and community well-being. There is a workable plan in motion that we cannot afford to divert from,” said Reverend Wendy Calderón-Payne, Executive Director of Urban Youth Alliance (BronxConnect)
“Incarcerated persons continue to die on Rikers, officers are still not showing up for work, and people have been going without showers or food and are left in their cells for hours on end. Young adults are particularly susceptible to these stressors of confinement. This is no way to treat our fellow New Yorkers, especially at a yearly cost per person of more than $500,000. Rikers must be closed, community resources ramped up and fully funded, and decarceration begun in earnest,” said Daniele Gerard, senior staff attorney, Children’s Rights.
“As a survivor and prior detainee from Rikers Island the constant deaths and traumatic destruction that happens to our people while being detained there, from the disease called violence to the end result called punishment we see our clients suffering from the reliance upon survival needs and tactics. Restorative justice is dismantling the underlying issues that cause violence,” said Mr. Five Mualimm-ak, Incarcerated Nation Network.
Jennifer Grossman, Executive Director of Nurses for Social Justice, said “The medical conditions at Rikers are atrocious. Inhumane. We have been reviewing medical records from Rikers for the past five years, and while the medical treatment has never been sufficient, over the past five years it has declined exponentially. We are seeing people who are incarcerated at Rikers needlessly suffering and afraid for their lives due to a lack of medical care and staffing. We are afraid for their lives.”
Danielle Minelli Pagnotta, Executive Director of Providence House, said “No one deserves the cruelty that exists within the walls of Rikers Island. Providence House offers housing and support services for women returning from incarceration. We understand the difficulties of reintegration and the trauma caused by Rikers Island. We also see the tremendous transformation that is possible if you treat people with compassion. To truly achieve justice and rehabilitation, we must invest in people and programs, and not failed intuitions that do more harm than good. Housing and community-based program investments are not only ethical, but also fiscally responsible and necessary for a sustainable and effective public safety strategy.”
"While the human toll of keeping Rikers open is one we cannot accept, we can't afford the financial cost either. The Commissioner's projected jail population of 7,000 people and the current annual cost per bed of over $536,000 predict a yearly total of $3.75 billion, which will exceed the cost of the borough jails in under three years. At the current price tag, neither correction officers nor the people in custody are safe and jail buildings continue to crumble. We call on the Mayor to act with a comprehensive response appropriate to this emergency, prioritizing decarceration, the closure of Rikers, and a modern system close to courts and families that invests in all who work in, live in, and visit our jails," said Archana Jayaram, president and CEO of Osborne Association.
"Criminalizing parents for their mental health challenges, drug and alcohol misuse, and behaviors that result from limited opportunity and incarcerating them on Rikers has not effectively increased public safety. Instead, it tears families apart, especially families of color, and exacerbates parents' underlying challenges, rather than addressing them. Too often, parents who are incarcerated or work on Rikers come home traumatized, unable to be the parents that they can and should be. We call on Mayor Adams to invest in families and communities, and to close Rikers now," said Allison Hollihan, Director of the NY Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents at Osborne Association.
"Mayor Adams must hold to his commitment to close Rikers, an inhumane institution that continues to overwhelmingly harm Black and Brown community members, was the site of 19 tragic deaths last year, and has been shown to contribute to recidivism while now costing more than $550,000 per inmate annually. We can increase community safety and provide critical services to people with criminal-legal involvement by robustly funding supervised release and alternatives to incarceration programs. CASES serves thousands annually through these proven solutions, which help people find employment, access health and mental health services supporting healing and recovery, and connect with opportunities for housing and education. The Mayor should increase support for these critical programs so that we are ready to close Rikers by 2027," said Jonathan McLean, President & CEO of CASES.
“CSH is supportive of city-wide efforts to #CLOSErikers, and strongly encourages Mayor Adams to maintain the stance that he had taken- of working to shut Rikers down- when he was seeking election as mayor of NYC. With 19 recent deaths, Rikers has proven to be a dangerous place with serious human rights concerns for those on the island. Efforts to keep Rikers open, especially without significant action to invest in housing and support for people coming out of incarceration are in direct contrast to what is best for the city. Continuing the cycle of overcrowded, under resourced conditions is not only unethical, it will have a lasting, negative impact on thousands of New Yorkers and their families, particularly in black and brown communities. We urge the city to continue the plan to close Rikers as well as invest in evidence-based interventions such as supportive housing for folks returning from jail and prison”, said Lauren Velez, Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Associate Director NY.
“How many New Yorkers with mental health challenges must die before we realize Rikers is a broken system beyond repair? We need our City to invest in more robust community mental health programs, a peer-led crisis response, and mental health court treatment programs— not jail. 19 New Yorkers died at Rikers last year and countless more face increased risk of suicide after experiencing incarceration, especially solitary confinement. End these senseless deaths, and close Rikers now,” said Kimberly Blair, Director of Policy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC).
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