Community Reinvestment & the Closure of Rikers Island
Close Rikers
The Rikers Island jail complex has been a stain on New York City for decades. Rampant with violence and abuse, taxpayers spend nearly half a million dollars per detained/incarcerated person annually. Survivors of Rikers Island formed the #CloseRikers Campaign to close the Rikers Island jail complex once and for all. After years of advocacy, the New York City Council voted to close Rikers by 2027 and move to a smaller, safer, borough-based plan. In 2021, the Mayor also signed into legislation the Renewable Rikers Act, where we will use the land that Rikers currently sits on as renewable energy source. As members of the Community Reinvestment and Closure of Rikers Island Commission, we are dedicated to reinvesting the money saved through the borough-based jail plan into the communities that have been most adversely impacted by mass incarceration. Investing in preventative measures will help the City decarcerate in order to end mass incarceration.
Renewable Rikers
