By Forum Staff
The City Council recently released a policy brief outlining the most immediate steps that the City must advance to support the permanent closure of Rikers Island and a successful transition to a borough-based jail system. These include legislative, budget, and administrative solutions to improve access to mental healthcare, reduce recidivism, and ensure coordinated leadership that produces outcomes to reduce case delays and the inflated jail population. The brief contains actions that the council is committed to advancing and also lays out those Mayor Eric Adams’ administration must join in taking to close Rikers.
Many of the investments and policies come from recommendations in the Independent Rikers Commission’s recently released “The Blueprint to Close Rikers.”
To advance the closure of Rikers, the Council will advance the following legislation:
- Introduction 1100, sponsored by Council Member Carlina Rivera, would require the Department of Social Services (DSS) to include single adults or adult families with children where the head of household has a severe mental illness, substance use disorder, or both, is homeless or at risk of homelessness, and has had justice system involvement in the last 12 months to any eligibility parameters for any existing supportive housing program administered and wholly funded by the city.
- Introduction 1238, sponsored by Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, would require the Department of Correction (DOC) to ensure all persons in custody with a pending criminal proceeding have the technology and support necessary to securely receive and review case evidence via a department-issued tablet or through access provided in the law library.
- Introduction 1240, sponsored by Council Member Rita Joseph, would require the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) to establish a holistic needs assessment program to identify mental health, physical health, substance abuse, intellectual disabilities, domestic violence and abuse history, history of trauma, emotional dysregulation, and other psychosocial conditions or circumstances at the time of a person’s arrest.
- Introduction 1242, sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, would require the establishment of an Office of Coordinator for Rikers Island Closure with a full-time coordinator and dedicated staff that reports directly to the Mayor.
- Introduction 1241, sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, would require DOC to conduct a study to determine any inefficiencies in the early release program established in accordance with Article 6A of the New York State Correction Law that permits sentenced individuals to be released from jail and serve the remainder of their sentence at home, under supervision.
- Introduction 1038, sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, would require the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) to submit a master plan for the redevelopment of Rikers Island for sustainability and resiliency purposes (Renewable Rikers).
- Resolution 371, sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson, would call on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign S6643A/A9115, in relation to providing money upon release for certain incarcerated individuals.
“The path to closing Rikers and ending the humanitarian crisis it has fostered requires leadership, urgency, and action by the Mayor’s Office, the council, and all stakeholders in the justice system,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
