On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest and I spent the day visiting the hunger strikers serving time on Rikers Island. The stories we heard will haunt us.

We knew that conditions were rapidly deteriorating at Rikers, but what we saw was inhumane. Many of the inmates we spoke to had not received necessary mental and substance abuse care for months. Others told us they were being held pre-trial for up to five years without a conviction. Facilities like Rikers are not equipped to provide the necessary care these inmates need to be rehabilitated, perpetuating a larger societal problem: a revolving door of incarceration.

My legislation, the Treatment Not Jails Act, addresses many of the underlying and systemic issues that create cycles of incarceration and poverty. I’m fighting to pass this legislation and build true public safety that is rooted in care, not incarceration.

The people inside Rikers are human beings, many with mental health or substance abuse disorders, and providing them with an off-ramp from the criminal justice system is a public safety issue that impacts the city as a whole. Allowing those with disabilities to seek counsel and care within their communities will help our communities thrive. We all do better when we all do better.

If you live in the district, let the Governor know you support this bill. If you live in another district, please ask your State Senator to support this bill.

Thank you for your support.

In solidarity,