DOCSLIB.ORG

Reimagining Rikers Island: a Restorative Justice Approach

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reimagining Rikers Island: a Restorative Justice Approach REIMAGINING RIKERS ISLAND: A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH by Max J. Gottlieb Received and approved: _______________________________________________________ Date_______________ Thesis Advisor Signature _______________________________________________________ Thesis Advisor Name _______________________________________________________ Date_______________ Thesis Advisor Signature _______________________________________________________ Thesis Advisor Name _______________________________________________________ Date_______________ Chairperson Signature _______________________________________________________ Chairperson Name REIMAGINING RIKERS ISLAND: A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH by Max J. Gottlieb Ⓒ2020 Max J. Gottlieb A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in City and Regional Planning School of Architecture Pratt Institute February 2020 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my advisors who guided and supported me through this process: Jen Becker and Courtney Knapp, as well as Ayse Yonder, John Shapiro and Beth Bingham. I would also like to thank those who provided the time and patience to share their professional and personal experiences about Rikers Island, land use and incarceration. I am particularly inspired by the writings of Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Jack Norton, Jarrod Shanahan, and Brett Story, all of whom provided great context for understanding Rikers Island in the age of mass imprisonment. This research would not be possible without the dedicated work of communities across New York City challenging the status quo of incarceration and actualizing the dream of a world without prisons. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Statement of the Issue 1.2 Goal and Objectives 1.3 Methodology 1.4 Organization of Study 1.5 Literature Review 1.6 Summary Chapter 2: Overview of Rikers Island 21 2.1 Legacy of Rikers Island 2.2 Borough-Based Jail Plan 2.3 Redevelopment Proposals 2.4 Summary Chapter 3: Stakeholder Evaluation and Best Practices 41 3.1 Interview Procedures 3.2 Stakeholder Details 3.3 Key Findings 3.4 Best Practices 3.5 Summary Chapter 4: Recommendations and Conclusion 53 4.1 Findings 4.2 Recommendations 4.3 Limitations 4.4 Areas for Further Research 4.5 Conclusion Works Cited 66 Appendix 74 …It is also time to look ahead to how our city can repurpose this island, which has been a symbol and accelerator of misery for so many, and turn it to the use for public good. — Jonathan Lippman, Former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals New York is like an Island, a big Rikers Island - The cops be out wilding, all I hear is sirens - It’s all about surviving, same old two step. — Nas, "The Don" (2012) “Prisons and prison populations are a reflection of what takes place outside of the prisons. .The direct relationship constitutes the basis by which we propose that there are no prison problems, only community problems. Once we begin to address community problems, prison problems will also be addressed.” — Eddie Ellis, Founder of the Center for NuLeadership CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 ISSUE STATEMENT In 2016, then-City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito launched the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform, which was led by former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman. The Commission was formed in response to a growing activist movement calling for the closure of Rikers Island, the notoriously violent and deteriorating city jail. A little over three years later, on October 17, 2019, the New York City Council passed a plan that would replace Rikers with four borough-based jails in its stead. The contentious $10 billion plan proposed a downsized Rikers population to be moved to smaller, localized facilities, with greater proximity to courthouses and communities. The plan also included investments in alternatives to incarceration and other neighborhood-centric programming. The plan faces significant challenges ahead, but leaves the fate of the storied 400-acre island unclear. Rarely does such a large parcel of land become available for redevelopment in a city where every inch of real estate is commodified and prized. The island also has severe limitations: limited accessibility, hazardous and contaminated land, and a brutal legacy that has left a devastating impact on communities, families and neighbors. Like most institutions in the criminal justice system, the facilities of Rikers have historically consisted of Black and Latinx men from a handful of outer-borough neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are the victims of racist urban policies of 1 redlining, urban renewal, and zero tolerance policing that have led to their divestment over decades, and still suffer from high rates of poverty, unemployment and high-risk housing. Incarceration is a powerful force in many communities; it interacts with all of the social determinants, impacting the health of people and communities across the country. Reformation of the American carceral system is now in mainstream political discourse. As governments begin to recognize community calls to reassess the impacts of the criminal justice system on low-income and high-needs populations, local officials and planners have an opportunity to work with communities to develop a future for Rikers based on collaborative decision-making. How can the redevelopment of Rikers Island be used to invest in justice-involved communities? Three main research questions guided this thesis: 1. What opportunities exist to redevelop Rikers Island? 2. How can the reimagining of Rikers incorporate a community-driven framework? 3. How are restorative justice frameworks applied in urban planning? 1.2 GOAL AND OBJECTIVES The goal of this thesis is to explore the issues and best practices of facilitating a revisioning of post-carceral land and how this can be applied to Rikers Island. Primarily, this study seeks to contribute to a growing body of research about the intersection of land use, decarceration and restorative justice planning. 2 The first objective of this study is to understand the context of incarceration and its socioeconomic impacts, the current efforts to reuse carceral facilities, and the framework of restorative justice through an extensive literature review. The second objective is to understand the existing conditions and history of Rikers Island and examine redevelopment proposals. The third objective is to understand the development potential of Rikers through the lens of restorative justice. The fourth objective is to provide recommendations to the City of New York for the redevelopment of Rikers Island and incorporate community-led decision- making processes. 1.3 METHODOLOGY This study employs a mixed methodology. The literature review in Chapter One will provide context for understanding the legacy of Rikers Island on New York City’s poorest communities, as well as the opportunity for the redevelopment of Rikers. The literature review is comprised of two major themes: first, a survey of incarceration, decarceration and its impact on community. This includes the spatial and socioeconomic analysis of incarcerated populations and the reuse of carceral facilities. The second section is an overview of restorative justice theory and key concepts as a framework for planning. This section also includes contemporary theories of abolition and equity planning as approaches for the redistribution of power in the context of decarceration. Chapter Two examines existing plans and 3 reports for redeveloping Rikers Island put forth by independent commissions, elected officials, advocacy organizations and design firms. News media, conferences and community meetings regarding proposed plans for Rikers are also utilized. Lastly, Chapter Three utilizes interviews with 13 stakeholders who represent community organizing and policy-making institutions. Interviews provided substantial depth to each of the plans, as well as identify development benchmarks and criteria. Interviews in Chapter Three are supported by ‘best practices’ from three comparable projects. 1.4 ORGANIZATION OF STUDY Chapter One: Introduction and Literature Review Chapter Two: Understanding Rikers: Context, History, Redevelopment Chapter Three: Stakeholder Evaluation and Best Practices Chapter Four: Recommendations 1.5 LITERATURE REVIEW The aim of this literature review is twofold. The first part of the review provides a survey of the prevalence and impact of carceral facilities in the United States. This section builds upon research that explores the disparate impact of incarceration on low-income and Black communities. The section will also discuss approaches to decommissioned carceral land and theory. The second section explores restorative justice as a framework for planning in the context of decarceration. After establishing the impact of correctional facilities on 4 low-income communities, how do we mitigate it using an approach rooted in healing, reintegration and mediation? This section includes an exploration of the work in contemporary fields of scholarship like abolition and equity planning that contribute to the decarceration movement. I. INCARCERATION, DECARCERATION AND REUSE IMPACTS OF INCARCERATION ON LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES As of 2019, the United States remains the most incarcerated nation in the world: the U.S. justice system holds nearly 2.3 million people between state and federal prisons, juvenile correctional facilities, and local jails, as well as state psychiatric hospitals, military prisons, immigration detention
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Duke University Dissertation Template
    ‘To Restore Peace and Tranquility to the Neighborhood’: Violence, Legal Culture and Community in New York City, 1799-1827 by Meggan Farish Cashwell Department of History Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Laura F. Edwards, Supervisor ___________________________ Reeve Huston ___________________________ Philip J. Stern ___________________________ Adriane D. Lentz-Smith ___________________________ Barry Gaspar Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History in the Graduate School of Duke University 2019 i v ABSTRACT ‘To Restore Peace and Tranquility to the Neighborhood’: Violence, Legal Culture and Community in New York City, 1799-1827 by Meggan Farish Cashwell Department of History Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Laura F. Edwards, Supervisor ___________________________ Reeve Huston ___________________________ Philip J. Stern ___________________________ Adriane D. Lentz-Smith ___________________________ Barry Gaspar An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History in the Graduate School of Duke University 2019 Copyright by Meggan Farish Cashwell 2019 Abstract “‘To Restore Peace and Tranquility to the Neighborhood’: Violence, Legal Culture and Community in New York City, 1799-1827” examines the various ways ordinary people, legal officials, lawmakers, and editors negotiated the boundaries between inclusion and exclusion, or what historians call “belonging.” It uses legal cases and crime publications to analyze contradictory visions of the public good within the context of key political and social changes in the city, state, and nation. The dissertation moves from the operations of violence on the ground to the ideological implications of violence in the era of gradual emancipation.
    [Show full text]
  • Nov. 12, 2020 $1 Black Vote Dumps Trump by Monica Moorehead and Louisville, Ky., Respectively This Past Spring
    ¡La autodefensa es un derecho! 12 Editorial Niños perdidos 12 Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 62, No. 46 Nov. 12, 2020 $1 Black vote dumps Trump By Monica Moorehead and Louisville, Ky., respectively this past spring. There were also signs saying that Once it was confirmed on Nov. 7 that the election was not about Biden/Harris, the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ticket but about the defeat of Trump and that had defeated Trump, literally tens of the struggle will continue. thousands of people around the U.S. There was also the recognition of his- spontaneously took to the streets for tory being made with Kamala Harris hours in jubilation and celebration. Not being the first woman and the first only were downtown areas taken over woman of color to become a vice-presi- but also neighborhoods, block by block, dent elect. While describing herself as a where traffic came to a standstill with Black woman of Jamaican heritage, her horns blaring. family roots also come from the Indian While the majority of those in the state of Tamil Nadu. There were thou- streets were young people, all ages partic- sands of women, including Muslims, car- ipated regardless of nationality, gender, rying signs expressing equal if not more gender expression and abilities. People support for Harris winning than Biden. Lead banners of march in Philadelphia Center City, Nov. 7. WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE could hardly wait to let off steam after While there was a wide gauntlet of waiting for what must have seemed like political views of people who poured out an eternity— if only five days— to see if in the streets of Philadelphia, Atlanta, the four-year nightmare of Trump would New York City, Chicago, the Bay Area, Philly celebrates, come to an end.
    [Show full text]
  • HOW the MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY HOARDS MONEY, PERPETUATES ABUSE of SURVIVORS, and GAGS THEIR ADVOCATES Table of Contents
    HOW THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY HOARDS MONEY, PERPETUATES ABUSE of SURVIVORS, and GAGS THEIR ADVOCATES Table of Contents INTRODUCTION S&P NY PERSPECTIVES ON PROSECUTING OFFICES • Prosecutors Are Our Opponents, Not Our Allies • We Will Not Prosecute Our Way Out of Violence PROSECUTING OFFICES HOARD PUBLIC FUNDS AND SABOTAGE SURVIVOR SAFETY • How Prosecutors Accumulate Funds • Where Does This Money Go? • DA Funding Undermines Survivors’ Collective Safety: The Role of Mainstream Gender-based Violence Organizations • Prosecutor Allies: How Did the Anti-violence Movement Lose Its Way? • Relying on Criminalization and Prosection: Protecting White Women, Leaving other Survivors Behind • An Abuse of Discretion: How Prosecutors Criminalize Survivors Acknowledgements WHAT WE COULD EXPECT FROM THE CANDIDATES • Where Do the Candidates Stand on Funding? Deep appreciation for all of our comrades inside NY prisons and jails that • Criminalized Survivor Case Study: shape what we know about criminalization and prosecutors’ everyday Snapshot of the Tracy McCarter’s Story violence. We will continue to fight for your freedom and healing. Love and • Fool’s Gold: gratitude to Tracy McCarter and the #StandWithTracy defense team for District Attorney Candidates and Sex Crime Unit Reform allowing us to share her story. Thanks to Jett George for their beautiful (and swiftly produced!) illustrations and design. Forever gratitude to the abolitionist, Black feminist queer disabled organizers, and survivors before ACTION STEPS TO GET INVOLVED us that promised us that there is another way to bring healing and safety to our communities, without state violence. Introduction The Anti-Prosecution Working Group of Survived & Punished NY exists to Beyond the election, we hope this zine inspires New Yorkers to start or build power and energy toward a future free of all prosecutorial join campaigns to #DefundDAs and imagine safety, healing, and justice for mechanisms in New York.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Vermont, College of Medicine Bulletin University of Vermont
    University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM University of Vermont College of Medicine University Libraries Catalogs 1983 University of Vermont, College of Medicine Bulletin University of Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/dmlcatalog Part of the Medicine and Health Sciences Commons Recommended Citation University of Vermont, "University of Vermont, College of Medicine Bulletin" (1983). University of Vermont College of Medicine Catalogs. 117. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/dmlcatalog/117 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Libraries at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Vermont College of Medicine Catalogs by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. University of Vermont COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 1983-1984 Bulletin CoUege of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt. Founded in 1822 Although its legal title is The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, the University is known to its students and alumni as UVM. This popular abbreviation is de­ rived from the Latin Universitas Viridis Montis, University of the Green Mountains. The University of Vermont reserves the right to make changes in the course offerings, degree requirements, charges, and regulations and procedures contained herein as educa­ tional and financial considerations require, subject to and consistent with established pro­ cedures and authorizations for making such changes. The University has an on-going program to provide accessible facilities and to respond to special needs of disabled persons. Questions should be referred to the Office of Architec­ tural Barrier Control. In addition, students with physical or learning disabilities may con­ tact the Office of Specialized Student Services.
    [Show full text]
  • 20Th Annual 30 Under 30 Awards Generation
    WINDY CITY THETIMES VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 VOL 34, NO. 29 JUNE 26, 2019 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com 20TH ANNUAL 30 UNDER 30 AWARDS page 55 GENERATION STONEWALL page 31 COUNTRY STAR TY HERNDON page 74CHICAGO BANDITS’ ALESHIA OCASIO page 14 CHICAGO PRIDE FEST page 78 @windycitytimes /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com G O S I N steppenwolf.org | 312-335-1650 T ON G E K E STAGE F ICK TS A C T G I S T NOW O T ! I N G F A S T ! 2 June 26, 2019 WINDY CITY TIMES WINDY CITY TIMES June 26, 2019 3 4 June 26, 2019 WINDY CITY TIMES Proud to be our community’s broker! Brad Lippitz has supported and contributed more to LGBTQ causes and candidates over the years than any other real estate broker in the City of Chicago. And Brad’s team happens to be in the top 10 in all Chicago with over $80 million sold in 2018. If you need to choose a real estate broker, 773.404.1144 why wouldn’t you choose a community www.bradlippitz.com leader who consistently gives back year after year? Brad and his team 3323 N. Broadway look forward to working with you! Chicago, IL 60657 900 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60611 Featured Properties Modern. Vintage. Architectural. Cool. And everything in between. 1341 W. Balmoral Ave. | Lakewood-Balmoral | $2,200,000 5335 N. Lakewood Ave. | Lakewood-Balmoral | $1,750,000 Brad Lippitz Architectural masterpiece on prime double lot in the heart of the neighborhood.
    [Show full text]
  • Libraries, Prisons, and Abolition
    Libraries, Prisons, and Abolition 2020 Liv Graham, MLIS The following is a three part series I have written on prisons, libraries, and abolition in conclusion of my coursework. Each Tuesday for three weeks, a new piece will be published on the DLIS blog. The first piece is a guide for library workers who have limited experiences with the prison-industrial complex, providing an overview of prisons, jails, and detention centers in the U.S.; examining the intent and effects of increased incarceration rates; and defining some core tenets of/broad approaches to abolitionist thinking. The second piece focuses on the library as an institution that, produced under the forces of moralistic reformatory thinking, inevitably influenced the operations and procedures of the institution maneuvered under american racial capitalism. It aims to expand our creative thinking on repair work by looking towards how we can disrupt these systematic processes, such as smashing the professional tenet of neutrality and restructuring LIS pedagogy to be led by the most oppressed, as well as what decolonization and anti-violence strategies could look like for caring, sustainable futures of information institutions. The third piece will focus on practical applications of abolitionist, expansive initiatives you can undertake as someone trained in library work, both as an individual outside your job and as a worker within an institution, in order to work in coordination with incarcerated people in autonomous building and movement by facilitating access to information. It will examine the current pressing information crises specifically inside Indiana prisons exacerbated by the Digital Divide; offering programming and outreach ideas; and elaborating on or critiquing contemporary offered solutions/reforms in LIS like employing social workers in the library or divesting from police partnerships inside your library.
    [Show full text]
  • The American Reformation: the Politics of Religious Liberty, Charleston and New York 1770-1830 by Susanna Christine Linsley
    The American Reformation: The Politics of Religious Liberty, Charleston and New York 1770-1830 by Susanna Christine Linsley A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in The University of Michigan 2012 Doctoral Committee: Professor Susan M Juster, Chair Professor David J. Hancock Professor Mary C. Kelley Associate Professor Mika Lavaque-Manty Assistant Professor Daniel Ramirez © Susanna Christine Linsley 2012 Acknowledgements During one of the more challenging points in the beginning stages of the dissertation project, my advisor, Sue Juster, gave me some advice that I continue to refer to when I find myself in need of guidance. She told me that there was no secret to getting back on track. I just needed to allow myself to take some time and remember why I loved history. This observation was one of the many sage and trenchant insights Sue has offered me throughout graduate school. I cannot thank her enough for providing both such a practical and an inspiring model for scholarship. I have also been fortunate to work with a committee whose brilliance and wisdom is unmatched. Mary Kelley has been a constant source of support throughout my time in Ann Arbor. Her unfailing trust in me and in my project gave me the confidence to push my work in directions I would not have thought possible before I began. David Hancock has always asked good questions, spurring me to think deeply both about context and about broader sets of connections. His own rigorous scholarship and teaching have served as great examples to me.
    [Show full text]
  • Closerikers Campaign: August 2015 – August 2017
    Reflections and Lessons from the First Two Phases of the #CLOSErikers Campaign: August 2015 – August 2017 JANUARY 2018 This paper was produced by the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice. The views, conclusions, and recommendations outlined here are those of Katal and do not represent other organizations involved in the #CLOSErikers campaign. No dedicated funding was used to create this paper. For inquiries, please contact gabriel sayegh, Melody Lee, and Lorenzo Jones at [email protected]. © Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice 2017. All rights reserved. Katal encourages the dissemination of content from this publication with the condition that reference is made to the source. Suggested Citation Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice, Reflections and Lessons from the First Two Phases of the #CLOSErikers Campaign: August 2015–August 2017, (New York: Katal, 2018). Contents Introduction 4 A Brief History of Rikers and Previous Efforts to Shut It Down 6 Political Context and Local Dynamics 8 Movement to End Stop-and-Frisk and Marijuana Arrests 8 Police Killings and #BlackLivesMatter 9 A Scathing Federal Report on Conditions for Youth on Rikers 10 Kalief Browder: Another Rikers Tragedy 11 The National Political Landscape: 2012–2016 11 Media Focus on the Crisis at Rikers 12 A Strategy to #CLOSErikers 13 Campaign Structure and Development 15 Phase One: Building the Campaign and Demand to Close Rikers 15 First Citywide Campaign Meeting 17 Completing Phase One and Preparing for Phase Two 18 First #CLOSErikers Sign-on Letter
    [Show full text]
  • Prominent and Progressive Americans
    PROMINENTND A PROGRESSIVE AMERICANS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA O F CONTEMPORANEOUS BIOGRAPHY COMPILED B Y MITCHELL C. HARRISON VOLUME I NEW Y ORK TRIBUNE 1902 THEEW N YORK public l h:::ary 2532861S ASTIMI. l .;-M':< AND TILI'EN ! -'.. VDAT.ON8 R 1 P43 I Copyright, 1 902, by Thb Tribune Association Thee D Vinne Prem CONTENTS PAGE Frederick T hompson Adams 1 John G iraud Agar 3 Charles H enry Aldrich 5 Russell A lexander Alger 7 Samuel W aters Allerton 10 Daniel P uller Appleton 15 John J acob Astor 17 Benjamin F rankldi Ayer 23 Henry C linton Backus 25 William T . Baker 29 Joseph C lark Baldwin 32 John R abick Bennett 34 Samuel A ustin Besson 36 H.. S Black 38 Frank S tuart Bond 40 Matthew C haloner Durfee Borden 42 Thomas M urphy Boyd 44 Alonzo N orman Burbank 46 Patrick C alhoun 48 Arthur J ohn Caton 53 Benjamin P ierce Cheney 55 Richard F loyd Clarke 58 Isaac H allowell Clothier 60 Samuel P omeroy Colt 65 Russell H ermann Conwell 67 Arthur C oppell 70 Charles C ounselman 72 Thomas C ruse 74 John C udahy 77 Marcus D aly 79 Chauncey M itchell Depew 82 Guy P helps Dodge 85 Thomas D olan 87 Loren N oxon Downs 97 Anthony J oseph Drexel 99 Harrison I rwln Drummond 102 CONTENTS PAGE John F airfield Dryden 105 Hipolito D umois 107 Charles W arren Fairbanks 109 Frederick T ysoe Fearey Ill John S cott Ferguson 113 Lucius G eorge Fisher 115 Charles F leischmann 118 Julius F leischmann 121 Charles N ewell Fowler ' 124 Joseph.
    [Show full text]
  • National Jericho Newsletter Volume 28
    1 The Dragons Fire “When the prison doors are opened, the real dragon will fly out” Ho Chi Minh THE NATIONAL JERICHO MOVEMENT NEWSLETTER in Fierce Determination Since 1996 June 15-July 15, 2020, Vol. 27 http://www.thejerichomovement.com P.O. Box 2164 Chesterfield, Virginia 23832 Steering Committee Advisory Board 1. Chair: Jihad Abdulmumit 1. Paulette Dauteuil 2. Secretary: Adam Carpinelli 2. Anne Lamb 3. Treasurer: Ashanti Alston 3. Frank Velgara 4. Fund Raising Chairperson: A’isha Mohammad 4. Kazi Toure 5. Dragon Fire Newsletter Editor: A’isha Mohammad 5. Jorge Chang Revolutionary Greetings, Welcome to our National Jericho Movement Newsletter. Thank you to all of our members and affiliations who contribute critical information regarding our Political Prisoners/Prisoners of War as well as updates on activities, events and actions. Moving forward, we stand in fierce determination and solidarity to free our remaining Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War still languishing behind the dungeon walls. Much work has been done by Jericho and other organizations, and there is still much more work to do. With 20 years behind us and much work ahead, Jericho is growing and is taking on new projects and missions. Our shared vision is that we will reach a time in this country (and others) wherein there will be no more Political Prisoners/Prisoners of War. We envision the day when they all will walk free and into their family’s arms-who have been waiting for decades. We hope you join us in making this a reality. 2 “Now the torch bearers who articulated the logic of struggle against the oppressor nation have either been confined in prison cells for a long time or have a comfortable job.
    [Show full text]
  • Issue Brief #1: Rikers Island Is a Toxic Penal Colony
    ISSUE BRIEF #1: RIKERS ISLAND IS A TOXIC PENAL COLONY !"#$%&'"&'($")*$%'+'&"(,-$'.%"&/('(/%'+'&"(,-$'0+"-. It is the last remaining penal colony in the United States. It remains a stain on New York City and must be closed forever. Rikers Island, a complex of ten jails (6 active, 4 vacant)1 with over 14,700 jail beds,2 has been used to incarcerate people since the 1930s. Before that, the island was owned for over 200 years by the Ryker family [later changed to Riker] - the most notorious member of whom was Richard Riker. !rough his position overseeing the City’s criminal courts, Riker led a group of o"cials who came to be known as the Kidnapping Club. !ey conspired to sell free Black men, accused of being fugitive slaves, to the South without due process.3 !e entire 413 acre island is controlled by the New York City Department of Correction, which at one time detained over 20,000 people there. In 2016, when the #CLOSErikers campaign launched, Mayor de Blasio was planning to build another jail on Rikers.4 Almost all of the more than 4,700 people held in the custody of the New York City Department of Corrections (as of November 2020) are held on Rikers Island.5 Approximately 94% of people jailed there are awaiting trial or a parole hearing. 87% are Black or Latinx. 6 The problem with Rikers is Rikers. Rikers cannot be reformed. It must be closed. Every day that it remains open, New Yorkers are subjected to more harm. Isolation - Rikers Island is accessible by only one long bridge and one City bus line.
    [Show full text]
  • Katal Weekly Update Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice
    June 25, 2020 Katal Weekly Update Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice In this issue: #DefundPolice, Invest in Communities, page 2 ​ #CovidBehindBars Update, page 3 #DefundPolice, Invest in Communities Artwork by Josh MacPhee of Justseeds Protests continue across the country, with tens thousands of people in the streets demanding that municipalities and states #DefundPolice. In Connecticut, groups across the state -- including Katal - are demanding City Councils and mayors take action around police accountability, including: ● every officer within the state of Connecticut that has been involved in the killing or beating of a civilian be held accountable; ● people who are elected to the Civilian review board are viable people elected by the community; ● immediate divestment of School Resource Officers within public schools; ● and immediate divestment of police departments. In New York, groups including Communities United for Police Reform -- in which Katal is ​ ​ proudly a member of -- are demanding the City Council: ​ ​ ● defund NYPD’s FY21 budget by at least $1 billion (CPR’s budget report actually identifies ​ ​ $2billion in savings that can come directly from the NYPD's expense budget); ● block NYPD budget line increases and require increased NYPD budget transparency; ● remove police from homelessness outreach, mental health response, and schools and invest in housing, education, healthcare, counselors. Katal Weekly Update June 25, 2020 - 2 The work ahead is increasingly clear. Since the awful murder of George Floyd in May, police have continued killing Black people across the country. Breonna Taylor’s killers still have not been held accountable. And instead of meaningfully responding to demands for action to address police violence and dismantle systemic racism, some elected officials are instead nabbing headlines by painting the phrase “Black Lives Matter'' on streets.
    [Show full text]