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, [email protected] 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 26, 2017

Contact: Thomas Meara | Email: [email protected] | Phone: (718) 309-3506

Without Speedy Trial Reform, People Will Continue Being Unnecessarily Detained Pre-Trial for Intolerably Long Periods

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 that the New York City jail population has declined dramatically since he took office.

Closerikers.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 

Gabriel Sayegh, Katal Center, 646-335-2264, [email protected]
Janos Marton, JLUSA, 917-848-6915, [email protected]

March 3, 2017

NY group joins Florida criminal justice reform advocates to protest mass incarceration and the need to close poor functioning jails.

Closerikers.org

“Mayor Bill de Blasio has repeatedly failed to confront a human rights atrocity right in his own backyard. To live up to his own progressive values of justice, fairness, and equality, he must take action and close Rikers now,” said Glenn E. Martin, President and founder of JustLeadershipUSA. “New York City’s reputation as a sanctuary city is tarnished by the ongoing criminalization of thousands of its own residents who suffer unnecessarily in disgraceful and dangerous conditions.”

Press Advisory - Report Embargoed until 12 p.m. on Friday, Oct 28, 2016

Contact: gabriel sayegh (646) 335-2264

Event at Harvard Club to Launch New Report:

Better by Half: The New York City Story of Winning Large-Scale Decarceration while Increasing Public Safety

Report Details How New York City Cut Incarceration by 50%

While Becoming the Nation’s Safest Large City

New York: New York City’s sustained and dramatic reductions in incarceration and crime rates point to strategies to safely and significantly cut imprisoned populations in other cities and states, according to a new publication by Judith Greene and Vincent Schiraldi, entitled Better by Half: The New York City Story of Winning Large-Scale Decarceration While Increasing Public Safety.