[NYguy]

As with anything else, the NIMBYs are out to stop the proposal...


https://www.change.org/p/mayor-bill-de-b...arch%3ESAP%3EUS%3EBrand%3EProper%3EExact

We the undersigned oppose the building of a new MDC correctional center jail complex at 80 Centre st as part of the overall plan to close Rikers island.

Our neighborhood roads are congested enough with traffic negotiating routes between the Manhattan & Brooklyn bridges and the Holland & Brooklyn Battery tunnels. In addition, this project would undoubtedly exacerbate air, noise & environmental issues we already endure. Residents of Chinatown, Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho, BPC, FiDi & The LES should not be made to suffer more.

We support the call for real prison reform but feel a jail in residential areas is not the best way to approach it.

Please hear our concern and rethink the options.

https://www.boweryboogie.com/2018/08/why-the-chinatown-jail-proposal-is-a-terrible-idea-op-ed/

Why the Chinatown Jail Proposal is a Terrible Idea [OP-ED]

August 22nd, 2018

I knew we were screwed when my inquires regarding the proposed expansion of the Manhattan Detention Center (MDC) at 125 White Street announced by Mayor de Blasio went unanswered. It got me thinking. Was it really necessary to close Rikers Island when by the Mayor’s own plan and estimate would reduce the current population from roughly 8,300 to the goal of 5,000 in 10 years? Since the Riker’s Island Prison Complex was built to hold 15,000 prisoners, is there still an overcrowding problem? The call to close Rikers stems from violent attacks against corrections officers and among inmates themselves. Weren’t these problems caused by the current administration’s own “hands off” policies?

The mayor has provided many reasons to justify the need to close Rikers; chief among them being the cost of transport and timely need to produce inmates to court in Manhattan for proceedings, and the need to house them closer. But, aren’t the current resources of the Department of Corrections being misused? The MDC at 125 White was built to house 800+ inmates. As it stands, most inmates have already been convicted and sentenced to terms of 1 year or under mainly for non-violent crimes (e.g. Steve Croman). Wouldn’t updating an older, underpopulated building or developing a new facility on Rikers make more sense and free up bed space for those with pending cases at the MDC?

I have lived in close proximity to the Manhattan criminal courts for decades, and not once witnessed a mass daily transfer of prisoners into or out of the Tombs. On average, there are usually 8-10 buses daily holding 15-20 inmates each.

We must also consider environmental impact, health, noise and quality-of-life concerns with a project of this scale. Columbus Park, located just across the street, is fully utilized all day, every day, by seniors and the nearby Transfiguration schools for lunch recess. Despite this, and the mounting community backlash from Chinatown residents, Councilwoman Chin remains firmly behind the mayor’s proposal to build this “jail of the future” at 80 Centre, defending her position by citing community benefits. I have not seen any realistic benefits proposed. I am reticent to bank on any deal proposed by this administration. Just look at de Blasio’s backtracking on the affordable housing deal signed and sealed for a NYCHA development (originally for 100% now 25%).

I am all for prison reform, but real prison reform. Simply moving inmates into a new facility in a different neighborhood will not address violence among detainees nor attacks on personnel without significant changes to current policy.