He 2027 was scheduled as the date to close the prison Rikers Island, considered for many years as a prison where the culture of violence has reigned for decades. And although the closure is still pending, we will see, since the number of inmates required to take that step: 3,300, still seems far away, with more than 6,100 inmates imprisoned Currently, something new has just appeared in the plan.
The Municipal administration confirmed that it decided to increase the number of beds in each of the four small prisons that will open in the Big Apple, after the closure of Rikers, going from 880 to 1,040 in each of the penalties that will be erected in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens y el Bronx, which was originally estimated at 3,544. There will be space for at least 4,160 inmates.
This was confirmed by the Deputy Mayor for Operations, Meera Joshi, after confirming that after a review of the plan, each new prison will have 154 more beds than the initial planning, a figure that is still lower than that of most Rikers pavilions, which have more than 1,500 beds, and that added They have space for more than 11,000 inmates.
“The additional prisons that will be added will also have an increased capacity of probably 1,040. We are working within a framework that is consistent with all City laws and environmental reviews. And we can add some additional beds to each facility, which were originally planned at 880,” the department official said. Adams Administration.
“That’s just a recognition of ability. Today we do not have the same capacity that we had a few years ago and we must be aware that if we do not have adequate spaces for people, we are actually going to end up doing the opposite of the intention of the municipal prison plan and having some people in inappropriate places. “, the vice mayor defended the increase in infrastructure to house more detainees.
The Mayor’s spokesperson also said that every time the prison capacity exceeds what they have, they must exchange spaces with other neighboring counties or state facilities. “One of the ways we can ensure that everyone gets the benefit of a new prison system is to ensure that there are enough beds in that new prison system.”he noted.
The City insists that the modifications to the plan, which in the case of the Kew Gardens prison for women that will open after the closure of Rikers, would triple the number of beds, going from 126 a 450, They remain faithful to the Mayor’s roadmap. The City has defended that they seek to make the prison system much smaller, with thousands fewer people in prison, safer, with modern and well-designed facilities where the dignity of those who are detained, as well as of visitors and workers, is promoted. , and more just, changing the culture within prisons, fostering community connections and providing greater access to services.
However, the news, which was initially put under the spotlight by the press and not by the local Administration, generated total rejection among sectors that have defended the closure of Rikers Island, not only to put an end to the so-called “prison of terror”, where the majority of inmates are black and Latino, but also to promote a culture that imprisons fewer criminal suspects.
“We wish to express our strong opposition to the plan,” said more than 30 organizations and more than fifty leaders, through a letter they sent to Mayor Adams, where they demanded that the municipal administration Reevaluate your plans of expansion of prison spaces, which they see as a way to “prioritize mass incarceration” rather than seeking other paths and promoting prevention.
There are currently more than 6,000 inmates in the Rikers Island jail. Edwin MartinezCredit: Edwin Martínez | Impremedia
“The expansion of incarceration in New York City is not a statistical inevitability. “It is the product of deliberate policies and practices, and can be reversed by the same means,” the coalition mentioned. Women’s Community Justice Association. “The City has taken a leap to increase jail capacity before attempting to implement any of the recommendations, which is at best disconcerting, and at worst, inconceivable (…) There is no reasonable justification (practical, fiscal or humanitarian) for the City to more than triple the planned incarceration of women and gender expansive people. “We have the means to reduce our prison population, and doing so is a moral commitment and a practical imperative as we chart a course for municipal prisons.”
Darren Mack, co-director of the Freedom Agenda organization and spokesperson for the Campaign to Shut Rikers, warned that the Adams administration’s proposed increase in prison capacity in the county-based plan is “offensive and unacceptable,” and increases the criminalization of blacks and Latinos, especially those with health problems. mental health and homelessness.
“This administration should make initial investments in supportive housing, mental health, and treatment to shut down the pipelines that feed Rikers. Instead, Mayor Adams is moving in the opposite direction,” said the activist, who urged the City Council to use whatever means possible to fight the local president’s plan and help reduce incarceration and close Rikers.
The Chaplain Victoria Phillips, of Visionary Ministries V, expressed special concern about the mass incarceration of women and mentioned that the City continues to fail them, particularly at Rikers Island and in the planning and construction of county jails.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the City successfully reduced the number of incarcerated women to fewer than 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 the courts, and due to a lack of community resources, the City has not provided sufficient diversion opportunities, resulting in an inadequate response to the issues of mental health that approximately 80% of the women detained in the Rosie’s wing of Rikers face,” said the defender.
“This raises important questions about the purpose of incarceration and why these people are incarcerated. With these concerns in mind and with Mayor Eric Adams’ self-proclaimed commitment to women’s leadership, the City Council must take the initiative to set an example for this mayor’s administration and hold them to the needs of the people and the law,” added the religious leader.
Kandra Clark, from the Transition Community of the Exodus organization, He stated that “when a woman is imprisoned, the family is imprisoned,” and asked that the imprisonment be stopped.
“It is abhorrent that Mayor Adams is working to increase the incarceration of women. Since his tenure, more and more New Yorkers continue to languish at Rikers Island, despite data supporting the fact that many of these New Yorkers could be placed in alternative programming and continue to contribute to our communities at a cost of a mere fraction of what “It’s hard to stop someone,” said the activist. “Shame on an Administration that is working to destroy communities instead of healing them.”
Bus to transport prisoners on Rikers Island, NYC.Credit: Edwin Martínez | Impremedia
The Reverend Wendy Calderon Payne, executive director of the Urban Youth Alliance (BronxConnect), joined the call to stop the increase in prison capacity in the Big Apple and called for more resources to be invested in communities.
“As a city, we must learn from the mistakes of the past. Rikers has proven to be a model for a disastrous prison system. “Studies show that reducing incarceration and promoting public safety requires addressing underlying structural issues, including housing, mental health, and a broad range of trauma-informed services,” the advocate said. “Our city has the opportunity to focus investments in areas of greater effectiveness and impact. These root cause solutions are also much less expensive. Create additional jail beds in addition to those already agreed upon in the plan to close Rikers It is not only counterproductive but also irresponsible.”.
Rikers Island en datos
- 2027 is the year scheduled to close Rikers prison
- 6,167 is the current population of Rikers
- 148 more inmates compared to January
- There are currently 11,300 prison spaces in NYC jails
- 3,300 beds for inmates indicated in the local plan when Rikers closes
- 4 smaller jails will be in four counties including one for women
- 4,200 will be more or less the new prison capacity of local prisons
- 880 beds for each prison was initially planned
- 1,040 spaces is the figure that will be managed now
- 30 Rikers inmates have died since Mayor Adams took over the City
- 2 prisoners have died in 2024
- There were 36 attacks on staff in January, 2 incidents less than in December
- 438 fights were recorded in the previous month, 20 less than in December
2024-03-05 21:10:11
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