SURVIVORS OF RIKERS, DIRECTLY IMPACTED FAMILIES, AND ALLIES RALLY BEFORE COUNCIL OVERSIGHT HEARING TO DEMAND INVESTMENTS THAT SUPPORT CLOSING RIKERS
Late Wednesday morning, as the City Council Criminal Justice Committee prepared to convene their hearing on DOC and Health + Hospital’s progress (or lack thereof) on opening outposted therapeutic housing units in three hospitals, members of the Campaign to Close Rikers gathered at Foley Square to remind Mayor Adams that closing Rikers by 2027 is a moral and legal obligation, and that the City needs to be moving towards closure with urgency on all fronts, including by expediting the completion of these units designed to house people with acute medical needs. Those present included people previously incarcerated at Rikers, family members of those currently incarcerated at Rikers, elected officials, organizations providing services to people held at and and returning from Rikers, faith leaders, and other allies.
In 2019, the City announced plans to develop Outposted Therapeutic Housing units at Bellevue Hospital and Woodhull Hospitals for people in DOC custody with the most acute medical needs. The opening of 104 units at Bellevue, set for December 2022, has been delayed until December 2023 or later, and the administration has not provided an updated timeline for completion of units at Woodhull and the North Central Bronx. The Adams Administration has consistently undermined its mandate to close Rikers by casting doubt on the 2027 closure without demonstrating effort to achieve this, instead producing a steadily increasing jail population and repeatedly attempting to limit transparency about the conditions inside Rikers.
“Each year, thousands of people with serious mental illness or substance use disorder are arrested and enter a jail facility on Rikers Island, where adequate treatment is only available to a select few. Outposted therapeutic housing units provide an alternative that keeps people safe and leaves them in a better position than when they entered the system. However, as of now, none of these facilities are open and people continue to suffer under the status quo. It is critical that the administration marshal its resources toward getting these outposted units online, and make consistent investments to ensure people have access to programs and services that are more appropriate and effective than incarceration,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera, Chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice.
Freedom Agenda Co-Director Darren Mack said, “As a candidate, Eric Adams said the city should do an emergency build out of offsite facilities for people in DOC custody with the most serious treatment needs. But as Mayor, he's delayed the opening of the first of these beds by more than a year. His inaction speaks volumes. It’s time for Mayor Adams to act on his words - to get stuff done, to create real treatment options for people languishing in jails, and to follow through on the legal and moral mandate to close Rikers.”
Joanne De La Paz, member of Freedom Agenda, said, “Since my children have been on Rikers Island they have experienced nothing but pain and suffering, which is starting to impact their mental health too. One of my sons was stabbed 12 times, and this is something that has happened more than once. I couldn’t even imagine being in that pain of having open wounds, living in the most horrific conditions, and being ignored by the people who are supposed to provide you with care – people who have complete control over you. No one deserves to be treated this way – not my children, or any other person. Mayor Adams - take the steps and deliver on the commitments you promised us when you were trying to get elected. If you want to get stuff done, then get Rikers closed!”
"The right to healthcare is a fundamental and universal human right, one that extends to every member of our community, regardless of their circumstances. Thus, we have a moral responsibility to ensure that individuals housed in our correctional system receive the adequate care they deserve. The current delays in opening outposted therapeutic housing units are unacceptable, and we must expedite progress to provide comprehensive treatment for those detainees with acute medical needs,” said Council Member Mercedes Narcisse (D-46).
“Closing Rikers and investing in communities is the forward thinking leadership New York City needs from Mayor Eric Adams,” said Reverend Adriene Thorne, Senior Minister of The Riverside Church. “Responding to the urgency of creating units for those experiencing acute medical needs is what leadership looks like. It’s what impacted families demand, and it’s the direction the mayor needs to move. As a faith leader, I urge the mayor to exhibit the moral courage he showed as Brooklyn Borough president and during his run for mayor. Work with the city council to close Rikers and invest in our communities.”
Reverend Wendy Calderon Payne, Executive Director, Urban Youth Alliance (BronxConnect) said, “It is imperative that the 51% of individuals held on Rikers with mental health concerns receive adequate care. Incarceration should not equal forgotten or ignored. While the law requires Rikers to close by 2027, we must address humanitarian issues now. Any delay on therapeutic units will fail this already overlooked population.”
Reverend Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York, said, “We must stay on track to follow the law to close the Jails on Rikers Island by 2027. Following through with the plan to open Boroughs Based Jails and close Rikers is the legally correct and morally necessary thing to do. This important step will also have symbolic importance and initiate a new era in New York City in which human rights and public safety are two sides of the same coin.”
Chaplain, Dr. Victoria A. Phillips, of the Jails Action Coalition and Mental Health Project, Urban Justice Center said, “In 2019, on the record, Dr. Ford discussed the impending introduction of therapeutic units within NYC hospitals, designed to treat individuals being held within the New York City Department of Corrections. As we approach the conclusion of 2023, the persistent absence of adequate medical care and concern for those confined within NYC DOC correctional facilities has elicited vocal objections from advocacy groups and directly affected individuals. Notably, during the vote on the closure of Rikers in October of 2019, approximately 40% of the incarcerated population exhibited a mental health concern. Fast forward to the present day, and this percentage has escalated to 51%. This raises pertinent questions regarding the city's self-proclaimed position of national leadership, juxtaposed with its failure to provide essential care to one of its most vulnerable communities. These individuals are not merely statistics but members of our society with names, identities, and beating hearts. They include veterans who, upon their return from deployment, are compelled to self-medicate, as well as survivors of human trafficking who are subjected to further trauma by our collective disregard for their well-being. By prioritizing the establishment of comprehensive rehabilitation services, we not only contribute to the restoration and upliftment of our community but also pave the way for successful reintegration into society. Therefore, it is imperative to expedite the activation of all committed therapeutic beds, as the healing process of our community members cannot continue to be delayed any further.”
“Rikers Island has long been the largest psychiatric facility in New York State. It’s long past time that we provide the comprehensive mental and physical healthcare that detainees deserve. The City of New York must expand on, rather than retreat from, the commitment to therapeutic beds as part of the urgent plan to Close Rikers, so we can ensure people get the care they need,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler (D-33).
Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams said, “It is urgent that we close Rikers on an expedited timeline, to end the crisis of negligence there. The city has shown itself to be unable to meet the needs of those under its custody, and unable to provide adequate medical care. Closing Rikers means taking steps on and off the island, including moving forward with creating therapeutic housing units for those in DOC custody experiencing serious medical needs. This is a crucial step in helping provide care for people who are incarcerated, and preventing the kinds of harm and loss of life that occurs all too often out of sight and mind.”
Megan French-Marcelin, Senior Director of NYS Policy at the Legal Action Center said, “Mayor Adams has routinely expressed the need to address the ongoing mental health crisis, and yet, his inaction has not only failed to make good on these promises, but also failed the urgent needs of vulnerable New Yorkers. Rikers currently serves as the largest psychiatric facility in the city - one that warehouses rather than treats people in crisis. If we are going to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our neighbors, this administration must develop and scale real, holistic treatment for people now suffering at Rikers. This begins by completing the planned outposted therapeutic beds, expanding access to community-based mental health care, and investing in alternatives to incarceration.”
“We see no reason to further delay opening of the desperately needed outposted therapeutic housing units,” said Andre Ward, Associate Vice President of Policy at the Fortune Society’s David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy. “The law requires Rikers Island be closed by 2027. In the meantime, we must take all necessary steps to safely reduce the number of people held in inhumane conditions. In the name of human dignity, racial justice, and mitigating drastic public health inequities, we call for a renewed sense of collective urgency to accomplish these goals.”
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