Rikers Island is home to one of the largest urban jail complexes in the United States. It has a long and troubling history of subjecting detainees, largely from communities of color and low- income communities who are disproportionately Black and Latino New Yorkers to inhumane conditions. And things have only become worse as the COVID-19 pandemic has torn through prisons across the country.
But legislation circling city hall right now would not only close the doors of Rikers jails but would transform the island with modern, pollution-reducing infrastructure. “Renewable Rikers” means investments in renewable energy, composting, wastewater treatment and the creation of well-paid, green jobs for New Yorkers.
Send a message to your New York City Councilmember to cosponsor this critical Renewable Rikers legislation.
Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters via Alamy
Send a message to your city councilmember to cosponsor “Renewable Rikers” legislation to transform Rikers from an inhumane island of incarceration to a showcase of sustainable green development.
