The New York City Council passed a bill that, if signed by the mayor, would establish jail population review teams dedicated to finding detainees who could be safely released into community-based support programs, 1010 WINS reports. The bill is aimed at decreasing prison populations across New York City in order to close Rikers Island by 2027.
The City Council voted in 2019 to close Rikers, but Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina have expressed concerns that the closure would be impossible by the 2027 deadline if prison populations in the city continue to trend upward.
The decision to close the prison was made amid a humanitarian crisis on the island. Reports from a federally appointed monitor have found violence at the prison goes unchecked, staff lavish in chronic absenteeism and the DOC fails to provide basic services to detainees.
City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, who sponsored the bill, told 1010 WINS the legislation is one tool for getting the city’s prison population to a point where it is feasible to close Rikers. “Right now we are trying to figure out how we can get to 2027, and a key component of that is actually reducing the population at Rikers,” said Rivera. “We can’t throw up our hands. We can’t say Rikers is an intractable problem… This bill would really look at what I think is the biggest issue, in terms of capacity.”
Beyond the looming deadline to close Rikers, Rivera said the bill is designed to move people with serious mental illness from prisons into treatment programs, where they stand a better chance at recovery.
Two comments:
Moving prisoners who require mental health treatment, as situatioins exist today, is a threat to society. Firstly, there are not enough providers to meet the needs. Secondly, current law restricts the mandated treatment options. Anyone, with even the most serious psychiatric disorders, who refuses treatment can do so. The only involuntary treatment is hospitalization if there is an immediate threat made to harm self or others. In the absence of that, the individual is released and on the street. Predicting future threats is virtually impossible.
Secondly, the frum community has witnessed a spike in incarcerations for violations of restraining orders by women against their estranged or ex husbands, sometimes with true basis for getting those orders, often without. And the reports of violations are also frequently baseless. These arrests bypass the process, and these men are taken directly to Rikers. Where can they be sent if Rikers closes?
Beyond the looming deadline to close Rikers, Rivera said the bill is designed to move people with serious mental illness from prisons into treatment programs, where they stand a better chance at recovery.
That is basically the same thing as releasing them into the street. Once they are in “treatment program” there is nothing preventing them from opting out of treatment. And that is assuming a “treatment program” would actually to begin with.
Jordan Neely also agreed to intensive outpatient treatment as part of a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors that spared him prison time for a 2021 assault. He went for about two weeks
Welcome to Sedom! Where the victims are the criminals and the criminals are the victims!
I would compare the liberal NYC crime rules to Sedom but I don’t want to offend the people from Sedom…
ADAMS’ NYC: NYC Council Passes Bill To Find Prisoners Eligible For Release In Order To Reduce Incarceration, Close Rikers
Why is Adams getting blamed for a bill that he didn’t introduce and never said he will sign?
No need to be so hostile to a guy who is about level headed as you can possibly get for a NYC democrat. (yes I know that isn’t saying much)