March 31, 2017
(New York, NY) – Children’s Rights Executive Director, Sandy Santana, released the following statement today in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito’s announcement to close Rikers Island.
“This is a promising day for thousands who are proponents of justice for all New Yorkers. For far too long, Rikers Island has been synonymous with abuse for those who are housed there. It has been especially damaging for younger inmates who have been irreversibly impacted by long hours in solitary. We applaud the decision to shut down this notorious institution of criminal injustice.”
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Children’s Rights was one of a broad coalition of organizations that called for the end of excessive solitary confinement for young people up to age 25 and spoke out against proposed limitations on jail visitation at Rikers Island.