Gothamist
“Among the report’s findings was how few people living on the streets and in the subways, parks, and other public spaces were directly placed into permanent housing. ‘That number is shocking,’ said Craig Hughes, a social worker with the Safety Net Project of the Urban Justice Center.AM NY
“I experienced Rikers Island firsthand as a teenager,” said Darren Mack, co-director of Freedom Agenda. “Rikers Island cannot be reformed. The only solution for Rikers Island is closure.”News 12
"People just think that you get arrested and you go to court. No, you get arrested and you have to wait for your court date. And before you even see a judge or go to trial, Boom, something happens and you're dead." - Freedom Agenda organizer Edwin Sanatana (1:35 mark in video)City Limits
“Until recently, the city did not publicly release details on supportive housing acceptance and rejections, forcing advocates at Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project to file Freedom of Information Law requests to access that data (the organization did so for years, sharing the findings on Twitter).”Street Insider
“Where does halal food fit into the context of New York City dining? And how do issues of religion, class, and bureaucracy impact the halal food that’s available and who is able to sell it? In an evening led by Krishnendu Ray, author of The Migrant’s Table and The Ethnic Restaurateur, we’ll learn the answers to questions such as these and more as we hear from a New York City halal food street vendor and Mohamed Attia, director of the Street Vendor Project."NYN Media
"McCarthy has now launched a new enterprise: the NYC Family Policy Project [which is part of UJC's Social Justice Accelerator]. Through research and policy analysis, the Family Policy Project will make the case that New York City has historically ‘over invested in child protective services and under invested in community institutions and networks that help families thrive.’”Gothamist
“How could a place be so evil?” asked Carmichael, who is now an activist [with UJC's Freedom Agenda] pushing for better conditions at Rikers. “Right here in the biggest city in the country and arguably one of the most progressive, loving cities. How could this be happening?”NY Post
The advocacy group Freedom Agenda said Nieves bled to death while corrections officers and a captain watched. 'While Mayor [Eric] Adams was publicly questioning whether we should or could send less people to jail, a man with serious mental illness was clinging to life after guards ignored his suicide attempt,' the group’s co-director, Darren Mack, said.AM NY
Monday’s death prompted stern reaction from the Freedom Agenda, a criminal justice advocacy group calling for Rikers Island’s closure. Tamara Carter, whose son Brandon Rodriguez died on Rikers Island last year, excoriated the Corrections Department for the latest fatality.Daily Eagle
Darren Mack, the co-director of [UJC's] Freedom Agenda, said closing and transferring facilities would be a win for everyone involved, pointing to the potential for correction officers to not be stretched as thinly and, in turn, enable detainees to have better access to medical services and programming....“We hope this mayor will follow the law that's been established by the Renewable Rikers Act,” he added. “At this moment this administration is operating outside of the law… and I think this administration needs to take the next step, which is transfers.”© 2024 Urban Justice Center | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
