The closure of the notorious Rikers Island prison has been voted

The New York City Council approved the closure of the giant Rikers Island prison on Thursday, at a date still uncertain. This establishment, known for its endemic violence, will be replaced by four new prisons in the heart of the city.

“It’s a historic day,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio after the vote. To set a deadline, the city council also adopted a provision that will no longer allow the use of the place beyond December 31, 2026.

Rikers Island, New York jail notorious for grim stories of cruelty and abuse, is to close https://t.co/k09zg7Yskc

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 18, 2019

Decongest the prison environment

The project is very controversial. New Yorkers are particularly concerned about seeing new prisons built near their homes. Rikers, located on an island in the far northwest of Queens, is completely isolated from any residential areas.

The project plans to build buildings in downtown Brooklyn and Chinatown in Manhattan, as well as in Queens and the Bronx. Some criticize the idea of ​​seeing the city devote a colossal budget to the construction of new penitentiary establishments, rather than using the envelope to improve the justice system.

Develop probation

The mayor and the city council have agreed to release an envelope of $391 million. In particular, it must relate to prevention programs, which are negligible compared to the cost of the project, estimated at 8.7 billion dollars. Proponents of the plan believe it will allow more frequent visits for relatives and facilitate reintegration projects.

Bill de Blasio’s plan calls for a significant drop in the number of inmates in New York, which has already fallen by more than a third since 2014. According to January figures, some 80% of inmates in New York were awaiting trial. Many of them could have benefited from release but remain behind bars because they have not been able to pay their bail.

The municipality has already implemented several measures to reduce the prison population, in particular through a probation program, an alternative to paying bail for people of modest origin.

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