Campaign to Close Rikers
The Campaign to Close Rikers, a project of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), was formed in 2016 to advocate for the closure of Rikers Island, a New York City jail facility with a history of allegedly abusive conditions. In 2017, the closure of Rikers was endorsed by the New York City government and a closure plan was adopted in 2021. Throughout these developments, the Campaign adjusted and expanded its goals to advocate that the City accelerate the closure plan and support more left-of-center penal policies, including increasing funding for alternatives to incarceration favored by left-of-center activists. 1
Contents
Activities
In 2016 (though some outlets report late 2015), JustLeadershipUSA launched the Campaign to Close Rikers under the direction of its founder, ex-convict Glenn Martin. At the time, JLUSA had recently received grants from the Ford Foundation and the Open Philanthropy Project (now Coefficient Giving). 1
The Campaign supported efforts by then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), who called for the closure of Rikers Island, a jail facility with a history of allegedly abusive conditions. At the time, then-New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio (D) claimed that closing Rikers was “unrealistic” and would place excessive financial burdens on the city and state. The Campaign launched with a protest on the steps of City Hall where Martin referred to Rikers Island as “Torture Island.” The Campaign was initially endorsed by 58 groups, with endorsements rising to over 100 by the end of the year. 2 3 4
The Campaign organized rallies and vigils, including an event where its activists carried a coffin to City Hall representing a prisoner who had died at Rikers. 1 In April 2017, about one year after the Campaign’s launch, Mayor De Blasio announced that his stance on Rikers Island had changed and that he supported its closure. One week later, Mayor De Blasio announced that initiating the closure of Rikers Island was the official policy of his administration. 5
In July, the De Blasio administration released a report outlining a roadmap for closing Rikers Island over ten years. The Campaign officially rejected the plan and advocated an alternative plan with a shorter timeline and more aggressive left-wing penal policies. 6 In December, Martin resigned from JLUSA amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied. 1 7
Over the following year, the Campaign was subject to dissent from its nonprofit supporters over its official stance toward the closure policy of Rikers Island. The Campaign endorsed a City plan to close Rikers and replace its jail capacity with new, smaller jail facilities based in four of the five boroughs of New York City. Many organizational coalition members of the Campaign opposed the plan on the grounds of general opposition to incarceration and wanted there to be no replacement jail system for Rikers Island. 1
In 2019, the Campaign released the Build COMMUNITIES platform, a slate of policy recommendations for the closure of Rikers Island. The platform included recommendations for the City to build low-income housing and make investments in public health, education, economic development, and violence-prevention programs. 8
In October 2019, the New York City Council voted to close Rikers Island and build new borough-based jails, as well as some other measures endorsed by the Campaign, such as reducing the City’s jail capacity by 75 percent. 9
In February 2021, the City passed the Renewable Rikers Act, which removed Rikers Island from the Department of Corrections’ control and laid out a process for converting the island into a base for environmental infrastructure and weather-dependent energy production. The Campaign supported the bill. 9
In 2023, then-Mayor Eric Adams (D), who had endorsed the City plan to close Rikers during his Mayoral campaign, proposed Plan B, which would have delayed the closure of Rikers Island and explored options for maintaining or increasing the City’s prison capacity. The Campaign opposed Plan B. 10
In 2024, the Campaign lobbied for its recommended left-wing policies to be incorporated into the City’s budget. In June, it announced that the 2025 budget restored proposed cuts to the Board of Correction and increased funding for alternatives to incarceration often favored by left-wing activists, such as mental health club houses and “Justice Involved Supportive Housing.”. 11
The Campaign supported the election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), who supported the closure of Rikers Island. In April 2026, the Campaign released a progress report evaluating the first 100 days of Mamdani’s term, which was largely favorable, especially concerning the administration’s funding of alternatives to incarceration. However, the report urged the Mayor to accelerate the closure of Rikers, claiming that the prison was deadly and that thousands of individuals were suffering in it. 12
As of August 2026, the Campaign’s most recent report was released on July 1. It praised Mayor Mamdani’s 2027 budget, which included eliminating funding for 580 new police officers, but also supported more spending on left-wing criminal justice and penal policies. 13
Coalition
As of July 2026, the Campaign to Close Rikers listed six members of its coordinating committee: Bronx Connect, Legal Action Center, Women’s Community Justice Association, Exodus Transitional Community Inc., and the Urban Justice Center’s Freedom Agenda and Mental Health Project. 14
The CCR has been endorsed by over 200 organizations, including left-of-center and left-wing groups focused on criminal justice policy and community organizing, such as the Innocence Project, New York Coalition for Jewish Criminal Reform, multiple chapters of Indivisible, National Action Network, and the NAACP National Conference. 14