New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams spoke before the Board of Correction yesterday, arguing in opposition to the ongoing overcrowding on Rikers Island and proposing measures to combat it. He also spoke against dangerous conditions on Rikers in the wake of the recent deaths of Benjamin Kelly and James Maldonado, less than 90 minutes apart.
“My purpose has always been to bear witness, to highlight the crises of violence, mismanagement, and neglect, and to advocate for solutions that create safety for those on both sides of the bars,” said the Public Advocate after offering condolences to the men’s families. “It is clear that what we are doing now is not working."
On overcrowding, he made clear that “The DOC correctly identifies drivers of our problems: a jail population at the highest since prior to the pandemic, there is a backlog of over 1,100 who should be in state facilities. We must remain clear: the administration's priorities are what put the department in a position where any deviation would lead to this sort of crisis. Continuously approving these variances without a clear and publicly accountable plan will only lead to more variances.”
The Board went on to agree later in the meeting, denying the variance request. Public Advocate Williams pushed for the Local Conditional Release Commission to act urgently to remove people from the island who do not need to be incarcerated while awaiting their court date, because “Overcrowding heightens issues already present in the jails: it increases violence, strains infrastructure, makes the delivery and provision of services more difficult, and creates unsafe conditions for everyone.”
The Public Advocate also spoke about isolation housing and his law to end prolonged isolation, which the administration has refused to follow.
“Before last week, the courts had spoken, not once, but twice, in affirming the City Council’s authority and the will of New Yorkers by upholding Local Law 42, the law to ban solitary confinement,” he said. “This administration continues to fight this humane and necessary law in court, while simultaneously replicating the practice of solitary through units like the SMU and the appalling practice of "deadlocking" individuals in mental health units for 23 hours a day, as brave whistleblowers have revealed… They do not rehabilitate, they serve to deteriorate. I have seen these types of units firsthand and have consistently spoken out about them. This approach, which struggles to provide mandated services, programming, and basic human contact, is not a bug in the system; it is the feature of a system designed to isolate and punish, not to correct or keep people safe.”
Public Advocate Williams has also pushed for an increase in resources to the Board of Correction in recent weeks, arguing before a Charter Review Commission that this and other oversight bodies need to be funded proportionally to the entities they oversee – the board later put this recommendation in their preliminary report.
Read the Public Advocate’s full prepared statement to the Board of Correction below. STATEMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL BOARD OF CORRECTION JULY 8, 2025
Good afternoon, My name is Jumaane D. Williams and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I thank the Board of Correction for holding this meeting. I just want to say, it is immensely difficult work that the people in this room do. From coalition members, to corrections staffers, to legal representatives, to health professionals, to family members, to board members, to board staff, we carry a lot of weight. The responsibilities are tremendous, and they’re only surpassed by the enormity of the task before us. The back-to-back deaths—less than 90 minutes apart—of Mr. Benjamin Kelly, age 37, and Mr. James Maldonado, age 56, truly highlight that there is much work to be done here still. I want to extend my deepest condolences to the families of these men. Their lives mattered, and should have been protected in DOC custody. My purpose has always been to bear witness, to highlight the crises of violence, mismanagement, and neglect, and to advocate for solutions that create safety for those on both sides of the bars. It is clear that what we are doing now is not working. I’ll now turn to agenda item six, a limited two-month variance concerning overcrowding in three facilities. While these variances for overcrowding at OBCC, EMTC, and the West Facility are directly tied to upheaval in our state system these are not simple administrative adjustments. They are accommodations for a broken system. The DOC correctly identifies drivers of our problems: a jail population at the highest since prior to the pandemic, there is a backlog of over 1,100 who should be in state facilities. We must remain clear: the administration's priorities are what put the department in a position where any deviation would lead to this sort of crisis. Continuously approving these variances without a clear and publicly accountable plan will only lead to more variances. Last year, the Local Conditional Release Commission, which is empowered to release people early from jail sentences, began meeting again after twenty years. I have long advocated for releasing people from custody who do not need to be held in detention awaiting their day in court. Overcrowding heightens issues already present in the jails: it increases violence, strains infrastructure, makes the delivery and provision of services more difficult, and creates unsafe conditions for everyone. This is especially urgent considering the record-breaking heat wave this city just experienced. If you’re hot today, imagine how it feels to be locked in an overcrowded facility with no air conditioning and little air circulation. Now, I’ll discuss agenda item seven, which includes a status update on restrictive housing units, including the Special Management Unit (SMU) and the RESH-Annex. This looks like another name for forced isolation to me. Before last week, courts have spoken, not once, but twice, in affirming the City Council’s authority and the will of New Yorkers by upholding Local Law 42, the law to ban solitary confinement. This administration continues to fight this humane and necessary law in court, while simultaneously replicating the practice of solitary through units like the SMU and the appalling practice of "deadlocking" individuals in mental health units for 23 hours a day, as brave whistleblowers have revealed. As this Board has observed, even in these completely independently crafted units, it’s clear that basic training, planning and collaboration are clearly lacking. They do not rehabilitate, they serve to deteriorate. I have seen these types of units firsthand and have consistently spoken out about them. This approach, which struggles to provide mandated services, programming, and basic human contact, is not a bug in the system; it is the feature of a system designed to isolate and punish, not to correct or keep people safe. Recently, I visited Rose M. Singer Center at the requests of staff and detainees, following reports of cisgender men being housed in this unit in the wake of the pause in upstate transfers due to the state prison wildcat strike. This turned out to be true, and resulted in a more heavily restricted life for all housed in this facility: men are locked on the first, second, and third floors, and women on the fourth and fifth, leaving people locked down for longer periods of time in their cells with fewer opportunities to attend programming and services. Rikers Island is a highly stressful environment, making it all the more important that incarcerated people have regular access to recreation time. I’d like to again extend my condolences to the families of those who have died in DOC custody. Recent deaths can not be forgotten, and it's the charge of this body and my office to ensure this doesn't happen. While Commissioner Maginley-Liddie has been making strides; I see her efforts and understand that the staff face enormous challenges, many of them infrastructural. Still, we can and must strive todo better. Lastly, I want to acknowledge that it is Board member Dr. Robert Cohen’s last meeting after 16 years of service. Dr. Cohen has been a great advocate for the dignity and safety of people on both sides of the bars, including being a valued ally and advocate for the movement to end solitary confinement in our city’s jails. There is no doubt that your work has saved countless lives. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Cohen for all his years of service and wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Thank you.
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