Presbyterians and other supporters took part in a cash bail out in St. Louis during the 223rd General Assembly in June. —Photo by: Danny Bolin
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights group is seeking the release of more than 500 people from New York’s Rikers Island Correctional Facility. It’s part of a new initiative to shut down a bail system that many believe is unfair to minorities and the poor. The organization plans to raise $5 million for what it claims could be one the largest bailouts ever.
Last year, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he supports closing Rikers Island following an independent report that described horrible conditions at the facility. The report also supports opening smaller jails in the boroughs.
Last week, the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was invited to meet with de Blasio’s staff to discuss the church’s involvement in the bailout in St. Louis during the 223rd General Assembly (2018) this past summer.
“This is an affirmation, that no matter how many people rail against our social justice policies, we are a lifeline of hope for people across this country,” he said. “We are moving in a strongly progressive position on justice for people who have no one to represent or help them navigate through societal barriers.”
During the General Assembly, hundreds of Presbyterians and supporters marched from the America’s Center (St. Louis’ convention center) to the city’s detention center with approximately $54,000 to provide bail for persons who could not afford it.
“New York is struggling like most cities in this country. Mayor de Blasio is intent on turning things upside down, from ensuring that children are going to school to giving people in public housing an opportunity to buy their home instead of renting for the rest of their lives,” said Nelson. “This seems to be a step toward making this city a place that people want to be, rather than a massive jungle of poverty.”
The mayor’s office says it supports the bailout initiative as long as those released are not a public safety threat.
The Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform says more than 75 percent of people at Rikers are released without being sentenced.
The human rights group plans to begin the mass bailout action on October 1.