ADVOCATES CALL ON MAYOR ADAMS AND CITY COUNCIL TO DELIVER ON THE CITY’S MORAL AND LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO CLOSE RIKERS
In a statement to THE CITY published today, Mayor Adams refused to state his commitment to complying with the city's legal mandate to close the Rikers jails by 2027, and suggested that City Council should reconsider the plan. In response, members of the Campaign to Close Rikers issued the following statements:
Darren Mack, Co-Director of Freedom Agenda said, “Rikers is the Abu Ghraib of New York City. When he was running for office, Mayor Adams consistently stated his support for closing Rikers because he recognized that New Yorkers believe in justice and human rights. New Yorkers expect our mayor to pursue real solutions - like housing and community based mental health treatment - to deliver on the city’s moral and legal obligation to close Rikers. Instead, Adams is resorting to the failed Giuliani playbook and trying to disappear more vulnerable New Yorkers to that toxic death camp. The City Council knows better, and they must double down on holding this administration accountable to shutting Rikers down.”
Reverend Wendy Calderón-Payne, Executive Director of Urban Youth Alliance (BronxConnect) said, “Rikers has been shown to be an outdated and dangerous institution, with numerous deaths in 2022 alone. Reevaluating the current plan is not sensible considering the unquantifiable financial and social costs of maintaining the status quo to New Yorkers. The current system is broken. What our city needs is focused attention on supporting overlooked populations. We have already seen the results of business as usual. It is time to move decisively to further accelerate the development of humane, proven, and community-driven solutions that address underlying factors of crime.”
"It is incredible that Mayor Adams and Commissioner Molina are establishing themselves as nationally recognized proponents of the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people. We must hold the mayor to the law that closes Rikers by reducing the jail population below 3,300 people. New York City can demonstrate that we don't have to rely on carceral solutions, when sensible and humane ones are possible, and are widely supported. Instead, this administration is seeking to uproot and dispose of the will of the Council who represent the people, families and communities who have been and continue to be harmed by the hell that is Rikers," said Tracie Gardner, Senior Vice President of Policy Advocacy with the Legal Action Center.
###