Making Sense of the Fight over NYC Jails

By gabriel sayegh

APRIL 22, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Yan Snead

ysnead@katalcenter.org | 518.360.1534

Thomas Meara

tmeara@kivvit.com | 718.309.3506

Statement from gabriel sayegh, Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director, Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice

Statement from gabriel sayegh, Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director, Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice

on GMDC Closure on Rikers Island

“Mayor de Blasio is getting 2018 off on the right foot by closing GMDC on Rikers Island, and we commend him and his administration for this action. This welcome development brings into focus the larger challenge at hand: Closing Rikers Island once and for all, as quickly as possible.

As we expand our work in Connecticut and New York to end mass incarceration and the drug war, we’re building new partnerships and pivoting to tackle new challenges. To gear up for legislative advocacy in 2018, in the months ahead we're pulling together a series of events in both CT and NY related to bail reform, ending mass incarceration, pre-arrest diversion, and more. We’re using a harm reduction approach to organize neighborhoods and communities around issues of public health and public safety. Our membership base is growing, and we're on the move.

Closerikers.org

One year after public launch of Campaign, and weeks after Mayor Bill de Blasio announces his support to close Rikers, hundreds gather to declare the proposed ten-year timeline is too long

New York, NY – Hundreds of members of the #CLOSErikers campaign gathered today at City Hall to demand Mayor Bill de Blasio take immediate action on his commitment to close Rikers Island. Advocates declared the Mayor’s proposed ten-year timeline to close Rikers is too long. They demanded the Mayor appoint someone to lead a speedy process of closing the facility, put forward a serious plan for closure, and immediately act on criminal justice reforms to reduce the Rikers population.

Closerikers.org

Glenn E. Martin, President and Founder of JustLeadershipUSA, and Gabriel Sayegh, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice are leaders in the #CLOSErikers campaign.  They issued the following statements in response to the release of the report from the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform.

Closerikers.org

Glenn E. Martin, President and Founder of JustLeadershipUSA, and Gabriel Sayegh, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice are leaders in the #CLOSErikers campaign. They issued the following statements in response to the announcement from Mayor Bill de Blasio that Rikers Island will be closed.

Closerikers.org

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Emily NaPier, Dir. of Public Affairs, emily@justleadershipusa.org or 315.243.5135

March 31, 2017 

Following Relentless Advocacy from the #CLOSErikers Campaign, City Hall Joins the Effort to #CLOSErikers and Begin Building Communities

Closerikers.org

Glenn E. Martin, President and founder of JustLeadershipUSA, and gabriel sayegh, Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice are leaders in the #CLOSErikers campaign. They issued the following statements in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement today that people in New York City jails will receive reentry services.