‘Rikers equals death’: Street demonstration symbolic of growing public pressure on city to close jail for good

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“Rikers equals death,” and the only solution to save those housed at the facility is to close the jail and send the inmates elsewhere, criminal justice activists said.

The latest effort to bring public attention to the humanitarian crisis on Rikers Isand occurred on Oct. 1, when prior to a state Assembly hearing, protesters demanded action during rally at City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan.