FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026
Contact: Yonah Zeitz, yonah@katalcenter.org | (347) 201-2769
Follow on Bluesky @KatalCenter | #ShutRikers | #CutShutInvestNY
Statement from the Katal Center on the New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice Oversight Hearing On Mental Health Care in New York City Jails
Today, Rikers Island is the State’s Largest Mental Health Facility, and Reducing the Number of People Incarcerated with Mental Health Issues is Critical to Advance the Closure of Rikers
New York, NY: Today, the New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice held an oversight hearing on Mental Health Care in New York City jails.
Today, Rikers is the largest mental health facility in New York City and among the largest in the country. Roughly 60% of New Yorkers held at Rikers have needed mental health services, 22% are diagnosed with a serious mental illness, and 25% suffer from an opioid disorder. The conditions at Rikers are horrific and life-threatening for incarcerated people, and proper care isn’t being delivered.
There are proven solutions to safely reduce the jail population, get people appropriate mental health care, and advance closure that the city must fund and implement. In November 2025, we issued a report with the Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay titled, “Rikers Island and Mental Health: Pathways Toward Community-Based Diversion and Jail Population Reduction.” To reduce the number of people incarcerated at Rikers with a mental health diagnosis and advance the closure plan, this report lays out a 15-point plan focused on advancing community-based diversion from Rikers through:
· City-Led Continuum of Expanded Diversion Options
· Alternatives for People at All Stages of Mental Competency Proceedings
· Greater Access to Mental Health Courts
· Effective Linkages from Courts and Jails to Community-Based Treatment
· Hospital-Based Secure Therapeutic Beds in Lieu of Rikers
To save lives and close Rikers, the city council must pass legislation that reduces the number of people being sent to Rikers with mental health issues and gets people currently incarcerated released to receive treatment in the community.
See Katal’s written testimony for today’s oversight hearing here.
Statements from impacted people and community group:
Kevin Valentine, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “As a lifelong New Yorker and formerly incarcerated person. I have seen the devastating consequences of the lack of more expansive mental health support both inside and outside New York City jails. As I emphasized to my own council member in a recent constituent meeting, Rikers Island is the largest mental health facility in NYC. There needs to be a greater investment by NYC to fund and expand community-based diversions and mental health care capacity to reduce the jail population at Rikers Island and advance closure.”
Scott Young, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “We come today to address the mental health crisis on Rikers Island. Most people don’t understand that a lot of people who say nasty things and do crazy things may have an unaddressed mental illness. If you don’t address the root cause of the illness, it’ll just get worse. And when you put them in a dangerous atmosphere where it is challenging to improve their mental health, they likely only get worse. Rikers is not a good atmosphere for improving mental health challenges. You’re talking about people who need to be supported to achieve mental stability. When are we gonna address the situation and save lives? All the things that are happening on Rikers Island to people with mental health issues are alarming. People are doing whatever they need to just cope with what is going on with them mentally. To shut down Rikers and support people with serious mental health issues, we must reduce the number of people incarcerated with mental illness.”
Ziyadah AmatulMatin, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “Right now, people who are incarcerated at Rikers pre-trial with mental health conditions are incarcerated longer – often averaging nearly 300 days in custody – compared to those without mental health diagnoses. This is unacceptable. This leaves families with loved ones incarcerated deeply concerned about their loved ones and leads to sleepless nights wondering about the government support on these issues. ‘SHAME.’ Our government must reflect the character, participation, and values of its citizens. New Yorkers are deeply concerned about the mental health crisis taking place on Rikers. Instead of getting treatment and support, incarcerated people are subjected to the poisonous, ruthless environment at Rikers. The city council must reduce the jail population, especially for people with mental health conditions, and shut down Rikers once and for all.”
Tomika King, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “ If we are to address recidivism and the revolving door of NYC jails, we must address the lack of mental health resources across the city. People should not be incarcerated to receive mental health care; it is not logical. People need care and treatment that fully addresses their underlying mental health issues, not the dangerous and deadly conditions of Rikers.”
Yonah Zeitz, Advocacy Director at the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, said: “For too long, our city has criminalized and incarcerated people with mental health issues at Rikers Island instead of providing them with dignified treatment and support in the community. This year alone, at least 8 people have died in New York City jails, many of whom were experiencing mental health conditions while incarcerated. Our members, many of whom were incarcerated at Rikers or who currently have loved ones on the island, come from Black, Brown, and low-income communities that have faced the brunt of this harmful and ineffective policy.
If the City Council and mayor are truly committed to shutting Rikers, they must invest in proven solutions to safely reduce the jail population, particularly those with mental health issues, such as ATI, supervised release, JISH housing, IMT and FACT teams, B-HEARD mental health responses, and more. The City Council must use its legislative and budgetary power to advance the closure of Rikers and hold the mayor accountable to the closure law.”
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