The fight to close Rikers Island, decarcerate its population and end cash bail in the courts reached its latest chapter on Oct. 6 with a protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Elected officials joined protesters in decrying the cash bail system and the sorry state of Rikers Island outside the base of District Attorney Cyrus Vance, located at One Hogan Place in Lower Manhattan. They condemned Vance’s use of cash bail, which orders arrested individuals held in custody until they can pay for their release; critics say it deprives low-income New Yorkers accused of non-violent offenses to get out of jail before trial.
Amidst undulating protest signs and reverberating chants, Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani shared that since his visit to Rikers Island in early September, two more people have died while behind bars. He stated that he visited Queens Criminal Court on Monday to watch the arraignment process, and was struck by the language of the court.
