DistantNews
Mamdani appoints supervisor for the closure of the controversial Rikers Island jail
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

Mamdani appoints supervisor for the closure of the controversial Rikers Island jail

From ABC Color · (10m ago) Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed Dana Kaplan to oversee the closure of the controversial Rikers Island jail, as mandated by a 2019 law.
  • Kaplan will manage the reduction of the jail population, the construction of new borough-based facilities, and the safe transfer of inmates, aiming for Rikers' closure by 2027.
  • The plan involves replacing Rikers with four smaller jails and includes establishing therapeutic housing units in hospitals, reflecting a shift towards a more humane correctional system.

New York City is embarking on a significant transformation of its correctional system with the appointment of Dana Kaplan to lead the closure of the notorious Rikers Island jail. As reported by EFE and covered by ABC Color, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is committed to fulfilling the 2019 mandate to replace the sprawling island complex with smaller, borough-based facilities by 2027.

Dana Kaplan has the vision and experience necessary to help us close Rikers Island, reduce the jail population, and build a smaller, safer, and more humane municipal jail system.

— Zohran MamdaniNew York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani commented on the appointment of Dana Kaplan to oversee the closure of Rikers Island jail.

Kaplan, bringing over two decades of criminal justice reform experience, including her previous role with the Independent Commission on Rikers Island, is tasked with a monumental undertaking. Her responsibilities include systematically reducing the inmate population, overseeing the construction of new, modern jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and ensuring the safe and dignified transfer of individuals currently held at Rikers. This initiative represents a fundamental shift from a large, centralized jail to a more localized and potentially more manageable system.

The closure of Rikers Island requires coordination, urgency, and a commitment not only to the closure of the facilities but also to the construction of a system based on dignity, accountability, and care.

— Zohran MamdaniMayor Mamdani outlined the principles guiding the transition away from Rikers Island.

The transition plan also incorporates innovative approaches, such as the recent opening of a therapeutic housing unit at Bellevue Hospital. Similar facilities are planned for other hospitals, aiming to provide specialized care for detainees with specific needs. Mayor Mamdani emphasizes that this closure is not just about shutting down an outdated facility but about building a new correctional system grounded in dignity, accountability, and care. This move is seen as a critical step towards creating a more humane and effective justice system for New York City, moving away from the long-standing criticisms leveled against Rikers Island.

This represents a change of course in the city's jail system and the beginning of a new one, with a smaller, safer, and more humane model.

— Zohran MamdaniMayor Mamdani described the significance of the Rikers Island closure initiative.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog