Lefty NYC Council pols want to spend $1M to speed up Rikers Island closure

The City Council is considering spending $1.1 cardinal connected a measurement aimed astatine speeding up nan closing of Rikers Island — a bid Mayor Eric Adams’ agency slammed arsenic a “redundant, bureaucratic measure.”

The caller bill, introduced Wednesday by Committee connected Criminal Justice Chair Sandy Nurse, would create an “Office of Coordinator for Rikers Island Closure” whose unit would study straight to nan mayor.

It would besides found a coordinator domiciled to oversee nan modulation from nan troubled jailhouse strategy to caller borough-based lockups.

“As we proceed to witnesser group successful custody suffer and die, nan civilized imperative to adjacent Rikers Island remains arsenic urgent arsenic ever,” said Nurse, who is besides nan co-chair of nan council’s Progressive Caucus, noting astatine slightest 5 inmates person died astatine nan jailhouse truthful acold this year.

The authorities was projected aft an independent committee wished past period that nan metropolis would not beryllium capable to meet its legally mandated deadline to adjacent Rikers by 2027.

Judge Jonathan Lippman, who chairs nan Independent Rikers Commission that released nan 100-page report, said nary 1 successful metropolis authorities is coordinating nan monolithic interagency operation.

“There’s been nary constituent person. It’s a revolving doorway astatine Rikers,” Lippman testified astatine a assembly Committee connected Criminal Justice proceeding Wednesday.

“It needs a Czar, personification who does thing for 24 hours a time different than deliberation astir closing Rikers,” he said.

The assembly passed a rule successful 2019 mounting nan closure deadline for nan infamous lockup — which has for years faced criticisms complete unsafe conditions and overcrowding — based connected a arguable scheme that would build 4 borough-based jails.

Mayor Eric Adams has based on that nan deadline can’t beryllium met, and asked nan assembly to amend nan law.

“While we person ever supported nan closure of Rikers, we person been clear that we can’t beryllium truthful idealistic that we’re not realistic astir nan existent impacts a 2027 closure could person connected our city’s nationalist safety,” Adams said erstwhile nan committee study was released successful March.

A City Hall spokesperson said Wednesday nan caller projected measure would beryllium a “redundant, bureaucratic measure.”

The Adams management already has unit members astatine various metropolis agencies and multiple deputy mayors’ teams focused connected closing Rikers and opening nan borough-based jails, nan spokesperson said.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams – nary narration to nan politician – admitted this month nan jailhouse won’t beryllium capable to adjacent by 2027.

But Adams, who took complete arsenic assembly speaker successful 2022, hasn’t taken steps to amend nan rule governing nan deadline.