The #CLOSErikers campaign launched on the steps of City Hall in April 2016. One year later, we have grown in power and numbers, and achieved concrete wins. Mayor de Blasio has committed to shuttering the Rikers Island jails for good, and the Lippman Commission’s final report recommended closure, as well as concrete policy reforms to reduce incarceration in New York city and state.
We should all celebrate these important wins, but our work is not done! We must continue to organize, pressure stakeholders, and make sure that impacted communities remain at the center of the process. We must ensure that the closure of Rikers happens in a timely manner, and results in a significantly smaller, more just and humane system overall.
Join the #CLOSErikers campaign, back on the steps of City Hall, as we celebrate this historic moment, and double down on our efforts to #CLOSErikers and #buildCOMMUNITIES!
The press conference was held to say NO to De Blasio saying he will close Rikers in 10 years. Glenn E. Martin and the supporters of #CloseRikers say “Not in 10 years, NOW”. Martin said that last year there were 50 organizations supporting the event and this year there are 140 + organizations that are listed on the #CLOSErikers site. Martin thanked Comptroller Scott Stringer and City Counsel speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito who were the first city elected officials to support the campaign to Close Rikers.