ADVISORY
September 20th, 2021
Contact:
Yonah Zeitz, yonah@katalcenter.org | 347-201-2768
Crisis on Rikers Grows, 11th Death in Year at Notorious Facility
Wednesday 9/22, 11 a.m.: Community Groups, People and Families Impacted by Rikers, and Elected Officials to Rally at City Hall to Demand on Mayor de Blasio to Decarcerate
New York, NY – This Wednesday, September 22 at 11:00 AM, outside of City Hall (at Murray and Broadway entrance), people directly impacted by Rikers, family and community members, and elected officials will gather to call on the mayor to take immediate action at Rikers by decarcerating.
On Friday, responding to demands of the #LessIsMoreNY coalition, Gov. Hochul signed the Less is More Parole Reform Act, and began implementation by releasing 191 people from Rikers Island Jail Complex who were held there on technical parole violations. But even after 191 people were released Friday on the Governor’s order, on Sunday, another person held at Rikers died. This year alone, 11 people have died at Rikers. The jail population is going up when it should be going down. Nearly 90% of everyone held at Rikers is Black and Latinx, most being held pre-trial and can’t afford bail. In response to the crisis at Rikers, the state governor has now done more to decarcerate than Mayor de Blasio, even though Rikers is the Mayor’s responsibility.
Speakers at the action will illustrate how they have been impacted by Rikers Island and the need for the Mayor, District Attorneys, the Courts, the State Legislature, and Gov. Hochul to take immediate action to address this crisis. The damage caused by Rikers to the people incarcerated there, to their families, and to their entire communities is immeasurable. Our demands for Wednesday’s action: #CutShutInvestNY
- CUT the number of people held on Rikers
- SHUT down Rikers Island Jail Complex
- INVEST in real public safety: housing, health care, education, jobs
WHAT: Crisis at Rikers Protest & Rally
WHEN: Wednesday, September 22 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Outside of City Hall (at Murray and Broadway Entrance)
WHO: Community Members, Elected Officials, Families, and People Directly Impacted by Rikers
WATCH LIVE ON INSTAGRAM: @katalcenter
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