Former Governor Andrew Cuomo surprised a lot of people this week with a big shift in how he thinks New York City should deal with Rikers Island.
Instead of closing it down, like the city has been planning for years, Cuomo now says we should rebuild it. “We can and must do both things at once: Close Rikers as we know it, and rebuild it the right way,” he said.
Cuomo, who’s now running for mayor as an independent, said Wednesday that the current plan to shut Rikers and build smaller jails in four boroughs just isn’t working. He says it’s costing too much money, taking too long and is upsetting the communities.
“The deadlines have already slipped years past, costs have doubled, and neighborhoods are being forced to shoulder the burden of government at its worst. Now is the time to admit the mistake before we dig any deeper,” he said.
Right now, the plan is to close Rikers completely by 2027. It’s one of the most troubled jails in the country, with a history of violence, crumbling infrastructure and inhumane conditions, including twelve deaths.
However, Cuomo says tearing it down just isn’t practical anymore. He wants to keep part of Rikers open during construction and rebuild it one section at a time.
Not everyone is on board. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor, called the plan “a betrayal.” Others, including former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, warned that rebuilding on Rikers goes against everything the city’s been working toward.
“Rebuilding on Rikers is highly problematic, fiscally flawed, and at variance with the law and the present advanced state of contracting, moneys invested, and preparatory work already undertaken to build four new more humane local jails in the city,” Lippman said.
Cuomo insists his plan is cheaper, faster and more realistic.
Whether voters agree or see this as a political flip could be a big factor in how the upcoming mayor’s race plays out.
