FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 2, 2025
Contact: Contact: Yonah Zeitz | 347-201-2768 | yonah@katalcenter.org
Follow on BlueSky @KatalCenter | #ShutRikers | #CutShutInvestNY
As the Death Toll Soars and the Jail Population Increases at Rikers, Mayor Eric Adams is Skirting City Law by Completely Abandoning the Closure Plan
This Afternoon, NY Daily News Published that the Adams Administration is Exploring Alternative Options for the Sites of the Borough-Based Jails
Statement from Katal Center
New York, NY: Today, the NY Daily News published a piece outlining how Mayor Eric Adams is having his top staffers look into turning the borough-based sites, which are critical components of the 2027 closures law, into sites for housing and other alternatives. Since taking office, Adams has trashed the city law to close Rikers as an example of “not real policies,” and he repeatedly called for a “Plan B” – even though the city passed a law to close Rikers in 2019. Now, he is formally operationalizing this position, which brings into question what will happen with the plan to shut Rikers.
Statement from Yonah Zeitz, NY Advocacy Director, Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice.
“For years, New Yorkers, including our members, have demanded Rikers be shut down. Since taking office, Mayor Adams has flat-out abandoned the plan to close Rikers and has done everything he can to undermine the closure law, missing or ignoring nearly every legal and process-oriented deadline of the plan.
This news that Adams is exploring alternative uses to the borough-based jails is disturbing but unsurprising since it’s been coming for a long time. Adams has been callous and crystal clear in his desire to keep Rikers open. The City Council, which passed the closure law in 2019, has failed to meaningfully hold Adams accountable for following the law. We’ve pleaded with the Council for years to take bold action and use every possible measure to ensure that the city would meet the 2027 deadline to close Rikers, including, if necessary, holding up the city budget. Yet, they have not moved with the energy and urgency required. Where are the lawsuits, hearings, and public outcry? We’ve seen the Council move with haste on other important issues; where is that same energy around closing Rikers?
With Adams abandoning the 2027 plan and creating alternatives to the borough-based jails, what is the city’s current plan to close Rikers? When will this happen, and what is the exact timeline for shuttering this deadly jail complex? New Yorkers across the city, including our members and community partners, are looking for answers and immediate action from the Council.
Background: #ShutRikers is a campaign of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice. Katal and our allies are working to cut the correctional populations and the budgets used for caging people; shut down Rikers Island; and invest in real public safety: housing, health care, education, and jobs.