AFTER REPORTS ON ADAMS ADMINISTRATION’S PLANS TO EXPAND CAPACITY OF BOROUGH BASED JAILS, FORMERLY INCARCERATED LEADERS AND ALLIES CALL FOR ACTION TO DECARCERATE AND EXPEDITE CLOSURE OF RIKERS ISLAND
Gothamist reported today that the Adams Administration intends to increase the capacity for the borough-based jails, adding 154 beds to each facility, and tripling the originally proposed number of beds for women in the Queens facility.
In response, the Campaign to Close Rikers issued the following statements:
Darren Mack, Co-Director of Freedom Agenda and spokesman for the Campaign to Close Rikers, said, “This administration’s proposed increase of the bed count to the borough-based plan is offensive and unacceptable, just as their increased criminalization of Black and Brown New Yorkers, especially those with mental health and housing challenges, is unacceptable. This administration should be making upstream investments in supportive housing, mental health, and treatment to close the pipelines that feed Rikers. Instead, Mayor Adams is moving in the opposite direction. The City Council must use every means possible to fight this Mayor and reduce incarceration, provide the support people need, and ultimately close Rikers.”
“In the effort to achieve the objective of decreasing the rate of incarceration among women and gender-expansive individuals, The Path to Under 100 report outlines a carefully structured strategy. It is specifically designed to address the root causes that contribute to the disproportionate incarceration rates within these demographics and addresses public safety. What should be important to the City is providing individuals with the necessary support and resources essential for promoting a well-balanced and healthy lifestyles and alternatives - NOT expanding the jails by adding more beds!” said Rev. Sharon White-Harrigan, executive director of the Women’s Community Justice Association (WCJA).
"In New York City today, being a woman should imply that the safety and well-being of women and their communities are of paramount consideration. Given that women's rights are universal, it is crucial that they be upheld, including the provision of humane living conditions, adequate healthcare, and due process while in custody. However, the City of New York has failed its incarcerated women, particularly on Rikers Island and in the planning and construction of borough-based jails. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city successfully reduced the number of incarcerated women to below 130, demonstrating its ability to prioritize the well-being and safety of its residents during a global crisis. Unfortunately, in 2024, with the restoration of staffing, the reopening of courts, and the availability of community resources, the city has neglected to provide sufficient diversion opportunities, resulting in an inadequate response to the mental health issues faced by approximately 80% of the women in detention at Rosie's. Additionally, the decision to construct additional beds in the jails while underfunding respite centers and clubhouses is nonsensical, especially when considering that many incarcerated women are the primary caregivers of their households. This raises important questions about the purpose of incarceration and why these individuals are being imprisoned. Considering these concerns and with Mayor Eric Adams self-proclaimed commitment to women's leadership, the City Council must take the lead in setting an example for this mayoral administration and holding them to the needs of the people and the law,” said Chaplain Dr. Victoria A. Phillips, Visionary V Ministries.
“When you incarcerate a woman, you incarcerate the family. We have worked for decades to educate our elected officials about the unique needs of women, as well as the reason why women become incarcerated in the first place - which include crimes of poverty or self-defense. It is abominable that Mayor Adams is working to increase incarceration amongst women. Since his tenure in office, more and more New Yorkers continue to languish on Rikers Island - despite data supporting the fact that many of these New Yorkers could be placed in alternative programming and continue contributing to our communities at a cost of a mere fraction of what it costs to detain someone. Shame on an Administration that is working to destroy communities as opposed to healing them. Exodus Transitional Community will continue to fight for what is right and restore hope to communities most impacted by this Administration’s poor choices,” said Kandra Clark, Exodus Transitional Community.
Reverend Wendy Calderón Payne, Executive Director, Urban Youth Alliance (BronxConnect) said, “As a city we need to learn from the mistakes of the past. Rikers has proven to be a template for a disastrous incarceration system. Studies demonstrate that reducing incarceration and fostering public safety requires addressing underlying structural issues including housing, mental health, and wide ranging trauma-informed services. Our city has the opportunity to focus investments on areas of greater effectiveness and impact. These root cause solutions are also far less costly. Creating additional jail beds beyond those already agreed upon in the plan to Close Rikers is not only counterproductive but irresponsible.”
Megan French-Marcelin, Senior Director of NYS Policy at Legal Action Center, said, “Amid rising inequality, the Adams’ administration proposal to increase the jail bed count for women is unconscionable. We should not be locking up our mothers and daughters and nieces, but instead should focus on deploying a more holistic, human-centered approach to the conditions that have driven our wrong-headed investments in systems of punishment. That would mean systematic expenditures on what truly makes people safe: access to quality healthcare, affordable housing, mental health supports, and harm reduction. We have the opportunity to create thriving communities for all New Yorkers, and that is precisely what we should be doing.”
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