Map change will ensure that a correctional facility will never be allowed on Rikers again
As part of its ongoing commitment to close the jail facilities at Rikers Island, today the City began the land use process to officially prohibit the incarceration of individuals there after December 31, 2026, when the borough-based jail system is expected to be in operation. The land use application filed today by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Department of Correction and the Speaker of the City Council is the first step in the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) to change Rikers designation on the official city map to a public place.
“This is a major step for New York City, and shows our deep commitment to closing Rikers Island. We are moving away from the failed policies of mass incarceration and showing the world that Rikers days are numbered,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
“By guaranteeing that Rikers will never again be used for incarceration, we’re charting a new course forward for the Island and the people of New York City. We’re making good on our promise to close Rikers once and for all. Though mass incarceration may not have started here, we’ll do all we can to make sure it ends here,” said Mayor de Bill Blasio
The application is solely focused on changing the mapping of Rikers to end its use as a jail. The proposed mapping action does not lead to any new development or construction on its own. Any future plans will require a new planning and public review process, including a separate approval for and environmental review process as necessary.
The filing of the ULURP today is the latest step made possible by the City’s successful years-long effort to substantially reduce its levels of incarceration. Today New York City is the safest large city in America and has the lowest incarceration rate of any large city in the nation. The number of people in the city’s jails today is fewer than 7,000, the lowest rate since the late 1970s. The city remains on-course for a population of no more than 3,300 by 2026.
The City has continued to take concrete steps towards to closing Rikers Island since the Council’s vote in October. Last month, the City announced the planned closure of two more jails— Eric M. Taylor Center (EMTC) on Rikers Island and Brooklyn Detention Complex (BKDC)—in March and January respectively. These will be the second and third jails shuttered by the Administration, joining the George Motchan Detention Center, which was closed in 2018.
In addition to the new announced closures, the City recently announced its initial timeline for finding and securing firms to execute the design-build demolition and construction process for the borough-based jails. Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for early work items were published last month with the remaining RFQs to be issued in the first quarter of 2020.
“This mapping change further solidifies the city’s commitment to creating the modern facilities that both people in custody and DOC employees deserve. We are looking forward to the day when we can begin operations in borough jail facilities designed for safety, with state-of-the-art programming and visitation areas,” said Cynthia Brann, New York City Department of Correction Commissioner.
“Today’s filing of the land use action to turn Rikers Island into a public place is another step forward in our commitment to build smaller, safer, and fairer justice system. New Yorkers are witnessing proof of how our city is turning from a model of safety that relied primarily on enforcement and incarceration to one that relies on building on community strength and partnership,” said Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We await the results of the ULERP process to see what will be coming to what is currently known as Rikers Island.
We have been told that with the announcement by Governor Cuomo to make LaGuardia Airport an international airport the runways must be made longer. How much longer? On to Rikers Island. This information was given to us by a City Council member, and a member of Congress who said the work has already begun on the runway extensions.
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