Closing the Rikers Island jails by August 31, 2027 is the law. Mayor Adams must follow it.
Mayor Adams has introduced unacceptable delays in the plan to close Rikers and done everything in his power to increase the jail population. Join T’ruah and Freedom Agenda on August 31, 2023 from 10-11 a.m. ET at City Hall Park to kick off the official countdown, and remind the Mayor that closing Rikers is required by law, and New York City has a legal and moral obligation to get it done.
The administration needs to be taking steps NOW to divert people from the deadly conditions on Rikers and the Boat, to substantially expand funding for and utilization of community safety resources like supportive housing and community mental health treatment, and to expedite the construction process of borough based jails and out-posted therapeutic housing units.