Jail builders and jail profiteers have climate incarcerated people across the board, or “directly impacted people” support the new jails. While it is true that some formerly incarcerated people and organizations who represent them claim to support the jail expansion project, there are equally many currently and formerly incarcerated people, and their loved ones, who do not support the jails plan. As incarcerated people have written over and over, jails have not helped their circumstances. 

It is in fact, an injustice and insult to those impacted by criminalization and the Prison Industrial Complex to suggest that they are a monolith, and that any entity can act in their best interest. Nonprofits who have claimed to be representing the interests of directly impacted people do not speak to the many criminalized and incarcerated people who do not support the jails plan.

Some correspondence with incarcerated people: 

• “How would I spend $11 billion to shut down Rikers, instead of on building new jails? The first thing I would focus my spending on would be the poverty within the communities. This means providing job training and job opportunities within New York for those who live in poverty. I would create programs that would give the masses the chance to learn how to cultivate the land and grow natural resources.”

  Hakim Trent-El, incarcerated on Rikers
  

• “$11 Billion should Not Be used for New Jails. It Is a waste of time And money. Let’s Not waste a $11 Billion on Jails that will only have Poor People, Transgender, Blacks, Puerto Ricans. Jails Do Not Help People.”

  Osha Oneeka, incarcerated on Rikers, released 2019
  

• “I would spend 11 billion dollars on Reentry Services, Transportation resources, Substance Abuse programs, Mental Health resources, Educational resources, Permanent Affordable Housing, & Endless Equal Employment Opportunities.”

  Prakash Churaman, out on bail, 2021
  

• “With that said, what I would like it to be known that I would like to see the $11 billion to Shut down Rikers, instead of building new jails, and what they could do is get right to the root of the Problem and take the time to find out why these people are committing these crimes. As individuals, Speak with them; as a real Person, interview them. Ask them what can we do to help you So you won’t continue to commit these crimes. Set up Programs by Putting People before Profit, give them hands on skills that they will enjoy doing and take it from there.”

  Jeremy Vallerio, incarcerated on Rikers