"We can and must do both things at once: Close Rikers as we know it, and rebuild it the right way,"
"The deadlines have already slipped years past, costs have doubled, and neighborhoods are being forced to shoulder the burden of government at its worst. Now is the time to admit the mistake before we dig any deeper,"
"Andrew Cuomo's proposal to take that which is broken, that which is morally bankrupt, that which is a stain on our city and to keep it open, it's a betrayal not only of the law as it stands today, but also of what New Yorkers actually want,"
The city is legally required to close Rikers and replace it with four smaller jails by 2027, but the replacement project has stalled, doubled in cost, and faced local opposition. Only one of the four jails, in Brooklyn, is under construction. Andrew Cuomo proposes abandoning the neighborhood jail plan and rebuilding Rikers one facility at a time so operations can continue, while using the planned neighborhood sites for affordable housing or mixed-use development. Rikers is described as crumbling, costly, violent, and distant from courthouses. Opponents say keeping Rikers open would violate the law and public desire.
Read at AP News
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