One Year from Legal Deadline to Close Rikers & Upcoming Shut Rikers Meeting this Wednesday, Sept. 16th
Monday, August 31st marked exactly one year from the August 31st, 2027 legally mandated deadline to shutter the notorious and deadly Rikers Island Jail Complex. Since the city pledged to shut Rikers, over 100 people have died in DOC custody (check out this new tracker to see all the deaths at Rikers and in DOC custody since March 31, 2017).
Under Mayor Eric Adams, the closure plan was outright abandoned. Nine months into the Mamdani administration, the closure plan remains off track. As of August 30, 2026, there were 6,499 people incarcerated in New York City jails, several thousand more than the required maximum number. The construction delays for the borough-based jails go well beyond 2032 – five years after the required deadline.
In Mayor Mamdani’s first budget, finalized on July 1st, the city increased the DOC budget but failed to provide more details on the borough-based jails’ cost overruns and timelines. The city clearly has no intent to meet the legal closure deadline of August 31st, 2027, but it has also not reconfigured the plan to provide a definitive date for when Rikers will be closed. Here is the statement we put out in response, featuring quotes from our members Kevin, Ziyadah, Anthony, and Waheedah.
Join us on Wednesday, September 16th at 6 pm in downtown Brooklyn for our Shut Rikers Meeting. We’re coming together with neighbors to collectively build community-based power to shut down the jail complex once and for all. We’ll spend time powermapping the Mamdani administration and city council, discussing action steps we can take together, and more.
To attend our next Shut Rikers meeting on Wednesday, September 16th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm, register here.
If you have any questions, please contact Melanie at Melanie@katalcenter.org.
Recap: Thursday’s Statewide Criminal Justice Reform
Yesterday, we held our September NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call. Over 100 people registered for this month’s call. As usual, we began with a detailed report from our lobbyist on what is happening in Albany, the bills Governor Hochul needs to sign, and the upcoming elections. Given the rising threat of authoritarianism and attacks on our democratic institutions, our executive director, gabriel sayegh, gave a presentation on nonpartisan election defense around the upcoming November elections.
We were also joined by Hands Off NYC and Citizen Action NY, who shared action steps for people in NYC and across the state to defend our democracy and fight rising authoritarianism.
We hope to see you on our October statewide call on Thursday, October 8th.
Register to join us on Thursday, October 8th, from 12 – 1 pm!
If you have any questions about the statewide call or would like to be a presenter, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Join us on Friday, September 18th for Hands Off NYC’s Community Weekend of Action
Next weekend, we’re joining Hands Off NYC, a broad coalition of organizations and individuals working to protect against, preempt, and prepare for federal incursion in New York City, for a weekend of action.
From September 18th to 20th. Hands Off NYC is holding a Community Weekend of Action. These are designed to celebrate the joy of community, share useful information, and help us build a culture of defiance across the city. There are actions taking place across the city, and we encourage you to join one. Here is a list of all the actions taking place.
On Friday, September 18th from 3-5 pm, we’re holding a tabling and flyering session at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn. Click here to register to join us!
If you have any questions about the Community Weekend of Action or would like to join us on Friday, September 18th, please contact Melanie at melanie@katalcenter.org.
Info Session: What Black Folks Should Know About Opioid Settlement Funds — Hosted by the National Black Harm Reduction Network
This Monday, September 14th, from 2-3 pm, the National Black Harm Reduction Network (NBHRN) is hosting an info session about Opioid Settlement Funds.Register here to attend.
Here are the details about the info session from NBHRN:
The money is moving. The question is who gets a say in where it goes.
Billions of dollars in opioid settlement funds are flowing into states and counties right now, and decisions about where that money goes are happening in real time, often without Black communities at the table. NBHRN is bringing the people together to change that.
Join the National Black Harm Reduction Network for our second national webinar: a conversation about opioid settlement dollars. What are they? Where are they going? And how can Black communities move from being an afterthought to being decision-makers in how these funds are spent?
Quotes of the Week
“When people criticize me for not having any respect for existing structures and institutions, I protest. I say I give institutions and structures and traditions all the respect that I think they deserve. That’s usually mighty little, but there are things that I do respect. They have to earn that respect. They have to earn it by serving people. They don’t earn it just by age or legality or tradition.” ― Myles Horton
“I do not believe that we can restore and expand the freedoms that our lives require unless and until we embrace the justice of our rage. And, if we do not change the language of current political discourse, if we do not reintroduce a Right and Wrong, a Good or Evil measurement of doers and deeds, then how shall we, finally, argue our cause?” –June Jordan
For printing and distribution, download the Katal Weekly Update PDF version.
Katal works to develop intergenerational leadership and organizing capacity to build community-based power and win systemic change for equity, health, and justice.
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Email: info@katalcenter.org
Phone: 646.875.8822