De Blasio Pledges to Close Rikers Island

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday his intention to close Rikers Island. “New York City has always been better than Rikers Island,” the mayor said in a statement. “I am proud to chart a course for our city that lives up to this reality.” De Blasio suggested that efforts to reform the city’s criminal justice system and reduce overall crime have rendered the jail complex useless. The mayor is also seeking to cut corrections officer jobs. “It will require that our state government, and each component of our criminal justice system, contribute to the reform efforts critical to reducing our jail population and improving re-entry services and educational programming,” de Blasio added.