Democratic members of the City Council have joined forces to approve a controversial bill aimed at significantly slashing Rikers Island’s population.
Progressive Democratic Council members approved a
The goal of the bill, sponsored by left-wing Councilwoman Carlina Rivera , is lowering the jail population to meet a city mandate to. Four smaller lockups slated to replace Rikers would only hold 3,544 beds combined. Critics blasted the new $3 million-a-year program – which is slated to begin in October through the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice – for lacking clarity on how early-release applications will be decided and for potentially putting scores of dangerous criminals back on the street.Getty Images
Through action of the City Council, New York City will create new borough-based, taxpayer-funded “jail population review” teams to decide who among Rikers Island’s roughly 6,000 detainees meet yet-to-be-determined criteria “for early case resolution or pretrial release.
Despite staunch opposition, the bill was approved with a veto-proof majority support of 39 of 51 members on Thursday. Seven – including Holden and Carr — opposed it; three abstained, and two were absent.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NYC lawmakers pass bill designed to decrease jail population ahead of Rikers’ closureThe New York City Council passed a measure that members say will decrease the number of people currently being held in custody if their cases can be resolved ahead of time, or when their release would not pose a risk to public safety.
Read more »
NYC Council plans affordable housing targets to spur development in city's wealthier neighborhoodsThe bill would create benchmarks for more income-restricted housing, especially in wealthier, predominantly white and transit-rich parts of the city, like the Upper East Side.
Read more »
NYC Council passes bill banning weight discrimination in jobs, housing, public accommodationNew York's city council has passed a bill that would bar discrimination against someone because of weight when it comes to work, housing or in public accommodation.
Read more »
The Diary of a Rikers Island Library WorkerThe illustrator Medar de la Cruz captures his experiences working as a library assistant at Rikers Island, one of the world’s largest and most notorious jails.
Read more »
Jay-Z Plugs Times Square Casino Plans in Open Letter to NYCJay-Z's dropping 'The Blueprint 4,' but it's not a new album ... it's his plan for opening a casino in Times Square, and he's going all out to get New Yorkers on board with it.
Read more »