Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good morning, everyone. We are gathered here today to mark a major milestone on the path to closing Rikers. We stand here together at New York City Health + Hospitals Bellevue, opening an outposted therapeutic housing unit for incarcerated individuals — the first facility of its kind. I am deeply grateful to the many advocates and activists who have fought tirelessly to advance a more just and compassionate approach to carceral care. And I want to thank the district attorneys, public defenders and judges who are doing the work to speed case processing and reduce our jail population.
I am also proud to be joined here by our public advocate, Jumaane Williams, by our Manhattan borough president, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, our Councilman Yusef Salaam, our Councilwoman Gale Brewer, and our Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers, as well as a number of leaders from our city administration. For decades, the daily conditions at Rikers have been calamitous and unsafe. Rikers, as we know, is broken. Two weeks ago, two men suffered medical emergencies and died while in DOC custody. These are not isolated incidents. More than 100 people have died on Rikers since 2015. The facilities at Rikers have long languished in disrepair, creating the conditions for violence and putting those with health conditions at serious risk.
So often, the detainees who enter Rikers, 84 percent of whom are being held pretrial, leave damaged by their time on the island, traumatized, destabilized and at greater risk for recidivism. I want to thank the corrections officers who show up to work every single day, despite being surrounded by these very same conditions. For decades, our city's approach to mental health has leaned heavily on criminalization. For many in the throes of crisis, Rikers has been their holding cell.
As such, it has become a de facto mental health facility, now standing as the second largest in the country, forcing staff and corrections officers to shoulder a burden they were never supposed to bear. And Rikers' remote location only deepens this dysfunction. For those suffering from an acute health or mental health condition, it can take 12 to 14 months just to get a single appointment. And those receiving care on the island are treated not in an outfitted care facility, but rather in a bus depot. This system fails incarcerated individuals in need of help in two distinct ways.
First, they do not receive the care they need for acute conditions. Second, it deters patients from seeking critical and sometimes life-saving treatment in the first place. These conditions are deeply counterproductive. And time after time, they have turned preventable situations into full-scale crises. It does not have to be this way. We can build a system that actually works for everyone. Those who are incarcerated, those who are serving in their jobs as corrections officers and our city as a whole.
In 2019, the City Council voted to close Rikers and replace it with borough-based jails and therapeutic housing units. Yet the previous administration delayed the construction of borough-based jails and dragged their feet on the opening of therapeutic health facilities like this one. While the construction of this outposted therapeutic unit here at Bellevue was completed in 2025, its doors have stayed closed for 15 months. Today, we are charting a different course. One that diverts from the path of neglect and begins the process of closing Rikers Island once and for all.
This therapeutic housing unit is home to 104 beds and will deliver high-quality care for people in custody with acute medical conditions and serious mental illness. Patients will begin moving in tomorrow. Rather than waiting critical hours and traveling off-site to get the treatment they need, specialty services will be just an elevator ride away. Rather than enduring the crumbling conditions that have defined Rikers for so long, they will receive care in a space designed for rehabilitation. Like the borough-based jails currently under construction, this therapeutic unit has been designed to improve the well-being of those experiencing crisis.
This means brand-new physical therapy and occupational therapy equipment, natural light, voluntary respite rooms and a vast recreational space. This unit meets DOC protection standards so we can ensure the health and safety of both those in custody and corrections officers. This is only the beginning of our efforts. We are bringing this same model to facilities in Brooklyn and the Bronx, projected to be completed by 2029, bringing our total number of therapeutic beds to 340. As we advance this work, we do so with a clear goal. A city where every New Yorker is safe. Where we deliver clear and tangible improvements to long-broken systems. Where we fulfill long-standing commitments to reform. One where we work every day to ensure that care under our city reflects the dignity that every New Yorker deserves.
Now before I pass it along, I do want to just say thank you to everyone who is here. The incredible work you do for this city on a daily basis. The fact [is] that so often that work is not recognized, it is not acknowledged, [and] it is not understood for the scale of the impact that it has. And I cannot thank you enough for what you do for everyone who calls this city home. And I cannot thank those around me enough who have been on the front lines of fighting for this project amidst the most inexplicable and repeated delays, day after day, month after month, year after year.
Your willingness to continue to believe that a day like today could, in fact, arrive is what allowed us to make this decision. And I will never be able to thank you enough for that. So, with that being said, it is a pleasure to now introduce one of those very New Yorkers who has long been on the front lines of this fight. Please join me in welcoming Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams: Peace and blessing, love and light, everybody. What a difference an election makes, I'll tell you that. We got a historic mayor, a historic commissioner doing historic things, and I'm very excited about the direction of this city. This facility represents a long overdue step toward aligning our justice system with basic human dignity. Imagine trying to have human dignity for everyone, ensuring that people in custody receive the medical care they need without unnecessary suffering. For too long, individuals on Rikers Island with serious health conditions have endured hours-long transfers just to access routine care. This is not just inefficient; it's also inhumane. By bringing care directly to New York City Health + Hospitals like Bellevue, we are reducing harm, improving health outcomes and treating people as patients first, not just as people in custody.
This initiative is especially critical for older adults and those living with chronic illness, cancer and serious mental health needs — populations that are too often neglected in our jail system. If we are serious about closing Rikers, we must invest in solutions like this, ones that safely reduce the jail population while expanding access to care and support. This is about public safety. People who receive consistent [and] coordinated care are more likely to stabilize, recover and successfully return to their communities. Today is a reminder that real reform requires partnership between our hospitals, our corrections system, and our city leadership, and we must continue building on the progress with urgency and accountability.
And I want to remind folks that this country is about 4 percent of the world's population, but we represent about 25 percent of the world's jail population. But we are not one of the safest countries in the world. And that just means simply equating how many people are in jail with safety does not work. And we understand that sometimes people need a time-out; I get that. But we have to change the narrative from the people who fling around words like “tough on crime” to people who are serious about safety. And what you are seeing here today is people who are serious about safety, making sure people get the care that they need, making sure that people who are on both sides of those bars, who often come from the same community, who are often Black and Brown, [and] definitely working class; our corrections officers are also Black and Brown. A lot of them are Black women; they are being asked to solve a problem that people have not yet learned to solve.
And we have to stop asking them to do that and putting people in harm's way. We want everybody to be safe on Rikers Island. And one way to do that is to get people off there that shouldn't be on there in the first place and make sure they get the care they need because they come back to our communities. We want to make sure they come back better, not worse, and at least come back alive. So, thank you so much to the mayor. Thank you for everyone, commissioner, I'm excited about everything you're doing. Let's continue the work. Thank you so much, everyone.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you. Now, please join me in welcoming our DOC commissioner, Stanley Richards.
Commissioner Stanley Richards, Department of Correction: Wow. This moment is what hope looks like. This moment is what the future could look like. And I am just so thankful to be leading in this moment — the Department of Corrections. So, thank you, mayor, for appointing me, for being bold and [for] being consistent about making sure that every New Yorker lives with dignity. Thank you, Dr. Yang. Ten years, yes. Ten years, Dr. Yang has envisioned this moment centered on the humanity of those in our care and those in our department. So, thank you for your persistence to never give up in the face of enormous challenges. And thank you to the New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation and the Correctional Health Services team. This team worked around the clock to bring this facility online. And I want you to know how deeply we appreciate that effort. I also want every member of service [and] our correction officers to understand that our gratitude is not reserved only for special occasions like this. You are valued 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. But appreciation cannot live in words alone. As meaningful as a thank you or a pat on the back is, it must also be reflected in the environment we create. When we walk through the doors and we see the new lockers, the updated cafeteria, the modern workstations, and the uplifting design all around you, you know that this space was created with you in mind. It reflects the important work and mission of the New York City Department of Corrections.
There is no higher purpose than caring for our fellow New Yorkers and the members of the New York City Department of Corrections. As we take in this space, the light, the textures, [and] the thoughtful design, it represents more than just materials and construction. It sends a message to the people in our care and to the entire city. You are valued. Your well-being matters. No matter what challenges you may be facing: you are seen, you are heard, and you are uplifted. When someone enters the care of the New York City Department of Corrections, we are committed to providing the resources and support needed to return to the community better prepared to succeed. Health is at the center of that commitment.
So today, [when] we cut this ribbon and open these doors, we are not just unveiling a new facility; we are offering a glimpse into the future, a future beyond Rikers Island, a future shaped by dignity, care and support. So today in this moment of inspiration and celebration, but most of all, in this moment of hope, hope that a better tomorrow is within reach for our agency, for our staff, for the people in our care, and for the people of New York City. Thank you. Thank you for being here.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you, commissioner. We heard the commissioner say it, but I do want to emphasize that to my right is Dr. Patsy Yang, someone who not only brought this idea to our city, but who [also] fought tirelessly to ensure that this idea could survive no matter what the opposition was that was laid in front of it. Whether it was political, procedural, technical; whether it was inexplicable, Dr. Yang would be there to ensure that the idea of dignity would survive, and it is because of her work and so many around her that we could come to this moment in time and make the decisions that New Yorkers had long been waiting for, a decision that will put us on the pathway to closing Rikers Island. And so, with that, Dr. Yang, please join us.
Dr. Patsy Yang, Senior Vice President, NYC Health + Hospitals Correctional Health Services: Thank you. Hi, I'm Patsy Yang with Health + Hospitals for Correctional Health Services. Back in 2016, when Correctional Health Services first came over to Health + Hospitals and we began providing healthcare directly to our patients, not through a contract but directly, we very quickly realized that many of our most medically involved patients were actually declining what in some cases was potentially life-saving treatment, solely because that round-trip journey between Rikers and Bellevue was just so arduous that it could not be endured. And we knew we had to find a way to increase access to the high-quality care that Health + Hospitals, that CHS with Bellevue, provides and offers to our patients.
So, we came up with this idea that we would not only continue to create therapeutic spaces within the jails, but we could actually outpost them into a therapeutic place, a hospital, so that, as the mayor said, the services that our patients needed would at most be an elevator right away. These outposted units, are a first. They are unique, which is maybe why they partially took so long to do. They are a clear milestone in how we can see people more respectfully and more decently. They are intended by design and by construction and by program and by service and operation not to push us down, but to support us moving forward and onward.
And so, we, our patients and everybody here and not here who cares for and cares about our patients, have been waiting a really long time for this. So, thank you, first of all, Mayor Mamdani and First Deputy Mayor Fuleihan. And Deputy Mayor Arteaga, you have totally led us across this finish line. Dr. Mitchell Katz, I can't actually express this, but you have unblinkingly, through even the roughest times, never flinched in your advocacy and your support and encouragement. You kept the project alive, you kept me alive, you know, we all kept going; it was great. Commissioner Stanley Richards, you are making this dream a reality.
And while Bellevue, unsurprisingly, is the first, it will not be the only. And I am so looking forward to being in lockstep with you as we get those units open at Woodhull and at North Central Bronx Hospitals. We really need them. And finally, and never finally, I have to acknowledge the amazing Correctional Health Services folks and the folks at Health + Hospitals facilities who worked on this project. You are amazing, this is amazing, and we never gave up. So that's that, and let's move our patients in, right? Right. Okay, thank you.
Question: Thank you. I couldn't help but notice that our remediation manager is here today, and I'd love to get some thoughts, something potentially from him, if he's willing to speak to us, in addition from you, Mr. Mayor, on how things are going with receivership thus far?
Mayor Mamdani: I'll kick us off just by saying that what brings us all here today is the result of collective effort, work across every single part of government. And frankly, that has been that same commitment of a whole-of-government approach and across and outside of City government is also what is driving us forward. It has been a pleasure working together. Our teams are in constant communication. And what is so refreshing is that while this is immensely difficult work, it feels like for the first time in a long time, there is a common sense of purpose to this work. And that is something that is driving everyone forward each and every day. I don't know if there's anything that you would like to add?
Nicholas Deml: Well, good morning. I feel this will be a bit underwhelming for you, but under the court order, we're not permitted to communicate with the press. But I do want to say thank you to the mayor for the invitation to be here and to tour the facility today. It's really an impressive facility upstairs. Thanks.
Question: Two questions. I guess following up, what is the update on the opening of the other facilities at Woodhull and in the Bronx? And I know staffing had been a concern. So, what is the staffing update there? And then the second question is there is a belief that if detainees are so sick that they need hospital care in the first place, that they should no longer be incarcerated. I just wanted to get your thoughts on that.
Mayor Mamdani: So, I'll start with the first question and go to the second. We are anticipating the opening of both of the two additional sites by 2029, end of 2029. And that is work that is proceeding forward. And we have a total of 104 beds here. About 100 incarcerated New Yorkers will move here tomorrow. This will also result in the closure of the NIC, which will then be transferred to DCAS in June of this year. And I want to also outline something. There have been at different points concerns about staffing levels here. The commissioner shared something with me through the course of our tour just now, which is that amidst those concerns of filling about 130, 140 positions, they actually received more than 400 applicants from corrections officers.
And what it shows is also a testament to something that a public advocate shared, which is that too often when we're thinking about the conditions on Rikers Island, many overlook the fact that corrections officers are going every day to work in those same conditions. And these are conditions that will not only be transformative for those who are incarcerated, but also those who come to work each and every day. There are conditions that bring a level of humanity back to the entire equation that we are speaking about. And then to your second question, look, there are pieces of legislation in Albany that as an Assembly member, I was proud to support. And I think that those are critical to move forward. One of them was [on] elder parole. And that is something that I think is part and parcel of the same spirit that we're discussing today. Thank you.
Question: So, is there a distinction that you'll be making between how many beds will go for people with medical issues as opposed to mental health issues? And also, being that this is only going to be able to handle 104, I'm assuming there are many more people that are in need from Rikers. So where do they go in the meantime?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I'll just first go through a few parts of your question, and then I'll pass it over to our commissioner. We are speaking about New Yorkers who are incarcerated who have serious medical needs that require these kinds of services. When we're speaking about the entire population that have this scale of medical needs, they will be covered once we have all three outposted facilities open. So, this will open about 104 beds. We will then see, with the two additional facilities, that'll bring us up to 340. The reason that we're able to close the NIC is because about two-thirds of the population that was held there previously was held there simply on the purposes of overflow, not having to do with the care that was being provided. I want to just also point to something that Dr. Yang said. The amount of time and effort that it would take to bring an incarcerated individual to this level of medical service meant that many incarcerated people were refusing that medical care and instead choosing to go without it. There is a significant impact that the kinds of conditions we've seen on Rikers have on the health and safety of everyone who is both incarcerated there as well as who works there. Commissioner, is there anything you want to add?
Commissioner Richards: I think you covered it.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Mayor Mamdani: So, this will be a focus on serious medical needs for those who are currently incarcerated.
Question: My question to you is this. This is the first step in trying to close Rikers. And the date for closing Rikers, as we all know, is 2027, which is next year. Given the fact that there are about 7,000 or so inmates at Rikers now, the borough-based jails hold about 4,000, what steps are you going to be taking to reduce the jail population, and will you be able to meet the 2027 deadline?
Mayor Mamdani: Over the course of the campaign, I spoke about our commitment to closing Rikers Island and I also spoke candidly with New Yorkers about the fact that the prior administration's lack of interest, to put it charitably, towards fulfilling that meant that the stated deadline was practically impossible to fulfill because we've seen years of a flouting of not just recommendations but requirements, frankly. It is going to take us quite a bit of time to ensure that we can put our city back on the path that the City Council voted for in 2019. And it will also take a whole-of-government approach. So, yes, we have our remediation manager here. We have our public advocate. We have city councilors. We have our borough president. We also have our district attorney for the borough of Manhattan, Alvin Bragg, who's here with us.
We have many others who have joined us because it will take all of us to create a system where we can finally ensure that we are processing these cases at the speed that is necessary to actually deliver on the spirit of the law. And I'll just add one thing. Many New Yorkers know this, but for those who don't, the vast majority of New Yorkers who are held on Rikers Island are being held pre-trial. And the inability of our city to move quickly at the pace that's required has meant that there are individuals who have been languishing on Rikers Island not just for months but sometimes for years. This is part and parcel of not just transforming the physical infrastructure of what it means to have our criminal justice system, but also what it looks like to act upon that same spirit.
Question: [inaudible] more diversion programs and other things so that people actually aren't going into the system to increase the population.
Mayor Mamdani: We are going to look at all of the different approaches that are on offer. It is always going to be driven by safety and also by a commitment to dignity. And I think, as the public advocate laid out, oftentimes those two things have been pitted as if they are against each other, when what we found is that the conditions on Rikers Island, the brutality that has become endemic to so much of our correction system, is also heavily linked to so many of the struggles that New Yorkers are living through right now.
Question: There's a report in City & State today about how your administration removed DEI language from the racial equity report that you released this week. Why was that decision made, and do you support that decision?
Mayor Mamdani: I want to be very clear. Our administration inherited a report that the prior administration had refused to release, a report that had been heavily diluted over many rounds of revisions. We took the time to strengthen this report to ensure that it was actually an accurate reflection of the city that we all love and know as our home, and to actually release this report within the first hundred days. Now, in this report, what we've seen — it's a report that is both coupled with a true cost of living report — is that the inequities in this city, the racial inequities are stark.
We are talking about findings that have shown that the wealth of a median white household in this city is more than $200,000, while that of a Black household is less than $20,000. This is not an indictment of any one New Yorker. It is an indictment, however, of policies and politics that have persisted for far too long. Our commitment now is to act upon these findings, to do so in concert with New Yorkers' comments, as we've now opened a public comment period for the next 30 days, to ensure that we have a city where we are reckoning with the long history of racism here and starting to act upon a framework that puts equity right at the center of it. Thank you.
Question: Sure. But why remove the DEI language?
Mayor Mamdani: We put forward a stronger report that actually reflects the realities New Yorkers are living through.
Question: Congratulations on naming an ACS commissioner. I'm wondering, what can you tell us about your child welfare philosophy now that you've chosen someone to lead this agency? Are you planning to restructure the agency at all? And most importantly, where will your ACS draw the line between the occasional need to remove children, which is very painful and traumatic, as we know, and also disproportionately impacts families of color, and the need to keep children safe in their homes? What on that subject would you be doing differently, if anything?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I'll begin with the appointment, which, frankly, is a very exciting appointment in Rebecca Jones Gaston, who will be the new commissioner of ACS. She is someone who brings with her local experience, state experience, and national experience. She has dedicated her career, frankly, to building smarter and stronger systems that keep children safe and families together. And when we're thinking about what she brings to this position, it's nearly three decades of experience, and it's a vision of a city where young people are safe and thriving, and that their families are also supported as the ones who provide the most important resources and protection. And I'm looking forward to seeing her leadership in action, as it will be one that will have tangible impacts for so many New Yorkers across the city, and we're very excited to see what she does.
Question: And on the subject of family separations and risk assessment, do you have any thoughts about what your agency might do differently?
Mayor Mamdani: What I'll say is that our new commissioner has my full trust and belief, and I know that in her actions, we will start to see the fulfillment of that vision where children are safe and families are also recognized as their most important protectors.
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