Background

Fifteen to twenty thousand New Yorkers are caught each year in the cycle of homelessness and incarceration. Four in every five are people of color. During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 2,500 people have been released, many without identification, critical medication, or coronavirus testing.

Details

On Tuesday, several faith leaders gathered at the bridge to Rikers Island to launch Faith Communities for Just Reentry; urging our elected officials to enact legislation, increase funding for housing the justice-involved, and add additional calls for mayoral action. There are multiple ways we can all be involved in this fight.

Call to Action

Demand that Mayor de Blasio and his administration to act now.

• Write Mayor de Blasio to demand that he uses his executive authority as mayor now to protect New Yorkers released from Rikers during and after COVID. We encourage you to include any personal stories you have on how life after involvement with the criminal legal system and/or at Rikers has impacted you and your family, friends, and community.

Contact your Council Member:

• Mayor de Blasio listens to members of the City Council. Tell your council member to pressure Mayor de Blasio into making sure that people leaving Rikers have the resources they need for a successful return home. You can access a detailed call script here to prepare for that call.

Engage your networks to demand change.

• Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: use them all to advocate for the just treatment of people released from Rikers.  We must keep the pressure on so more of our fellow New Yorkers are not subjected to the injustices of the Rikers reentry system.