Regardless of who made the decision to halt construction of the new jail, it was enough to trigger a round of celebration among members of the coalition to close Rikers.
“We receive, with reserved jubilance, the news from DOC Commissioner Ponte that the City has ceased all new construction on Rikers Island,” said Wendy Calderón-Payne, executive director of BronxConnect. “We hold this Administration responsible for its treatment of our most vulnerable.”
Glenn Martin, founder and president of JustLeadershipUSA, a group dedicated to cutting the national prison population in half by 2030, said, “It’s encouraging to hear that Mayor de Blasio is finally responding to the voices of the communities that have suffered most from the violence and abuse at Rikers, as place that has been mired in depravity for decades.”
JustLeadershipUSA organized a well-attended march to close Rikers in September, and Martin sits on the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform, a group created by the City Council that is charged with exploring ways to reduce the number of people imprisoned on Rikers. The commission is considering moving jail facilities off of Rikers Island itself, and is looking at alternate uses of the island, should that happen. Its website welcomes New Yorkers to submit their views on the matter.
Councilman Vallone dumped cold water on the idea of closing down Rikers.
“We need a complete infrastructural overhaul of the island without a dream of thinking its going someplace else,” Vallone said. “Because there’s not a councilmember in the city that’s going to say, ‘put that facility in our district cause we really want it there.’ It’s never going to happen. Never.”
Martin, of JustLeadershipUSA, vowed that the close Rikers campaign will be “relentless.”
“Now, more than ever, is the time to double down and put our resources and energy behind movements led by directly impacted communities.”
Article Appeared @http://www.villagevoice.com/news/construction-of-new-rikers-jail-is-officially-on-pause-9360062