Today marks the start of transferring all women and transgender individuals from Riker’s Island to state-run correctional facilities, as part of a new action by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Bill de Blasio for the “Less Is More Act.”

However, not everyone is approving of this transfer.

The Legal Aid Society and other advocacy groups are claiming that this transferring is dehumanizing of these incarcerated persons. In the move, 230 individuals are being transferred to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and the Taconic Correctional Facility in Westchester County.

This move is part of an effort to ease staffing concerns and capacity constraints, according to Gov. Hochul. However, the Legal Aid Society claims that this plan is rushed and will actively re-traumatize those being transferred.

News 12 spoke with a former detainee at Rikers who was there for 11 months and disagrees with the transfer, stating that those who haven’t been convicted could be grouped with those already sentenced for dangerous crimes.

The Legal Aid Society also expressed concern that those who identify as trans will be mis-housed and won’t have access to proper resources. The move starts today from Riker’s Island.