Elected officials and advocates rallied outside of City Hall on Thursday to fight for an end to what they call an ongoing humanitarian emergency at Rikers Island.  

“Fiscally, it does not make sense to keep pouring billions into a system that dehumanizes, traumatizes and releases our folks back to the community worse,” said Kandra Clark, vice president of policy and strategy for the Exodus Transitional Community.  

Local leaders say they are fed up following a contract proposal released on Monday for a new Brooklyn-based jail that would push back the construction of the facility for two years. City law says that Rikers must be shut down by Aug. 31 2027, but those construction plans now say the Brooklyn jail won’t be done until 2029.  

Officials say over two dozen people have died while incarcerated at Rikers Island over the past two years.  

“It cannot be a game of roulette to await your fair day in court,” said city comptroller Brad Lander. “Those folks should be alive and with us today.” 

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams says the jail exposes both staff and detainees to unnecessary levels of violence and makes the city as a whole less safe. Elected officials are joining together, saying they want to provide alternatives to incarceration.  

“Let’s actually put resources into the supportive housing that people need, let’s actually put resources into supervised release, let’s actually put resources into safe solutions that keep people in communities,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler.  

News 12 reached out to the mayor’s office for the following statement:  

“This contract reflects realities facing the construction industry and requirements laid out in the law passed by the City Council. This administration will always follow the law, and the law says the jails on Rikers Island must close on time.”