The mayor's office and City Council remain divided over the closure of Rikers Island, with both acknowledging the 2027 deadline cannot be met. A recent report by the Independent Rikers Commission, re-convened by City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, criticized the city's lack of urgency. While the commission did not officially blame anyone for the failure to meet the deadline, they explicitly urged the Council to reject any legal moves to extend it without demonstrating a serious commitment to address jail populations and reform incarceration culture in New York City.
The statutory deadline of August 2027 to close Rikers should not be legally extended. Only when the required commitment and action is demonstrated along the lines that we have laid out should any legal discussions take place.
The commission found that a lack of urgency and will from the city has torpedoed any chance for the 2027 closure deadline, and blamed the mayor for inadequate progress.
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