STATEMENT FROM CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE RIKERS ON OPENING OF OUTPOSTED THERAPEUTIC HOUSING UNITS AT BELLEVUE HOSPITAL

As the Mamdani administration held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for much-needed outposted therapeutic housing units at Bellevue Hospital, the Campaign to Close Rikers issued the following statement:

“Today, the Mamdani administration demonstrates its commitment to closing Rikers by transferring some of the most vulnerable people in custody out of the decrepit facilities on Rikers Island, and into state of the art outposted therapeutic housing units designed to provide the intensive medical care that these New Yorkers need and deserve. Jails are fundamentally unfit for medical care, where vulnerable people are too often not produced for medical appointments, denied consistent treatment, and left without the round-the-clock support they need. This long-overdue step marks real progress after years of inaction. We commend the administration and call for continued efforts to reduce incarceration, close and transition facilities on Rikers Island, and fully uphold the human rights of people in DOC custody.”

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