Benjamin, Lancman Propose Strategy to Close Rikers in Three Years

May 20, 2017 4:48 PM·

Benjamin, Lancman Propose Strategy to Close Rikers in Three Years

Standing with community leaders and criminal justice reform advocates, Democratic nominee for State Senate Benjamin and Council Member Lancman outline three-point strategy to close Rikers Island in three years; proposal would expedite Lippman Commission recommendations through aggressive Rikers population reduction objectives, improved pre-trial and casework handling

Announcement came at afternoon rally in Harlem outside local community center Street Corner Resources (SCR); Benjamin and Lancman joined by SCR CEO and founder Iesha Sekou and Akeem Browder, brother of deceased Rikers inmate

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Standing with local community advocates and the brother of one former Rikers Island inmate held for three years without a trial, Brian Benjamin, Democratic nominee for the 30th District of the New York State Senate, and Council Member Rory Lancman, chair of the Committee on Courts and Legal Services, today unveiled a new strategy to close the city detention center within three years. The pair’s three-point plan seeks to expedite the 10-year timeline for closure pledged by the Mayor by implementing aggressive prison population reductions through the siting of new jails citywide and reforming city detention and incarceration practices.

“The impacts of Rikers Island and the city’s mass incarceration policies on our communities here in Harlem cannot be overstated,” said Brian Benjamin. “That is why it can and must be closed far sooner than the ten year timeline the city has proposed. As a developer of affordable housing, I know that Councilman Lancman’s proposal to expedite the building of new local facilities and addressing the flaws of our criminal justice system can be accomplished quickly and successfully. I applaud the Councilman for his tireless advocacy on this issue, and pledge to make closing Rikers my first priority as our next State Senator.”

“New York City cannot wait ten years to close the nightmare that is Rikers Island. We can and we must do better,” said Council Member Rory I. Lancman. “Our strategy lays out the framework for expediting the closure of Rikers Island by vastly expanding supervised release, enacting sentencing reform, and utilizing alternative forms of bail. We know what needs to be done to close down Rikers in less than ten years, and we must strive to make that a reality.”

Lancman and Benjamin unveiled their plan at an afternoon press conference outside the Harlem headquarters of Street Corner Resources. The Councilman and State Senate candidate were joined by Street Corner Resources CEO and founder Iesha Sekou, and Akeem Browder, brother of Kalief Browder. Kalief committed suicide in 2015 after spending three years at Rikers without trial for allegations of theft.

“We have an epidemic on Rikers Island and at facilities across New York State,” said Akeem Browder, brother of Kalief Browder, at the event. “We need more than just a thought of closing Rikers – we need action. We’ve had Rikers exist long enough to see it do harm by our kids and our family members, so now I back shutting down Rikers and finding new, innovative ideas to eliminate places like it.”

“My heart is heavy every time I hear that a young person has been incarcerated at Rikers Island because I know that people with smaller crimes end up staying there for a longer sentence than is necessary,” said Iesha Sekou, founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources. “Not only should we close Rikers, but we need to take steps to ensure that the city’s criminal justice system does not work against our young people and cause even greater pain and suffering. Councilman Lancman and Brian Benjamin have created a common sense proposal that will close Rikers and bring real positive change to the community.”

The three-point plan proposed by Lancman and Benjamin would seek to close Rikers in three years by siting new jails at existing criminal court complexes throughout the city, and an aggressive inmate population reduction plan. According to the plan, Rikers prison populations could be reduced by a daily average of 302 inmates through the diversion of low-level offenses to the city’s civil court systems prior to arraignment; and reducing the estimated 75% of inmates in city jails in pretrial detention by expanding the city’s existing supervised release program.

For his part, Benjamin, the Democratic nominee in the May 23rd special election for the 30th Senate district, pledged to make the issue his top priority if elected. Benjamin told the assembled crowd that he would propose as his first bill in Albany any legislation needed to achieve this goal, and that he would work with colleagues in the Senate to push for its passage.

Brian Benjamin (at podium), candidate for State Senate, joins NYC Council Member Rory Lancman (left) to unveil a new three-point strategy for closing Rikers Island in three years as Akeem Browder (right) and advocates look on