The GWC Organizing Committee also supports No New Jails, a multiracial, intergenerational network of residents, community members, and activists who oppose Mayor DeBlasio’s plan to open four new jails in our city. While the city has argued that the closure of Rikers Island jail necessitates new jails in each borough, we support No New Jails’ call for an immediate stop to all prison construction plans and we support investment in real solutions in New York City.

We stand against mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex.

In so doing, we support the long history of prison strikes in the United States and around the world, including the strike initiated by Jailhouse Lawyers Speak on August 21, 2018. With 2.3 million people currently incarcerated, the US prison system represents a racist regime of forced labor under inhumane conditions. We recognize that while the conditions at MDC demand immediate redress, no jail is humane, and we call for an end to the prison system in the United States. We reaffirm our commitment to a true restorative justice process in our union, in New York, and around the world.

We would like to amplify the following calls to support #AbolishMDC from No New Jails NYC:

  • JOIN US at MDC to help record and circulate reports from detainees and their families about conditions at the jail. Sign up for shifts here and follow @NoNewJails_NYC, @Msbritt_305 @blackboikei and @1samanthajoh on Twitter for on-the-ground updates. Because Bureau of Prisons and MDC officials cannot be trusted to tell the truth about what is actually going on in the jail (and have been lying throughout this ordeal), we are collecting and amplifying reports from incarcerated people and their loved ones.
  • PACK THE COURTS! There is ongoing litigation in the federal courts about the conditions at MDC. We will continue to pack the court over the coming weeks and support family members in attending hearings. Please follow @NoNewJails_NYC on Twitter for updates about upcoming court dates and ways to support our efforts to pack the courts and support family members’ attendance at hearings. The next hearing that we are aware of will be 10:30am on Wednesday, February 27 so please mark your calendar for that date.
  • SIGN THE PETITION! Warden Quay has got to go! While we know that nothing short of release will guarantee true safety for incarcerated people, Warden Quay cannot be left in charge after presiding over this humanitarian crisis and lying about it.
  • DONATE to support #AbolishMDC and No New Jails NYC