De Blasio seeks backing for Rikers Island closure plan
His re-election campaign website posts petition
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to close Rikers Island has now become a part of his bid to win a second term in office. In an email letter to supporters, de Blasio bluntly issued a request to his backers to stand behind his proposal to shut the jail complex.
The mayor’s letter includes a link to a petition on his campaign website supporting the effort to close Rikers Island.
“You have probably read the headlines, but I wanted to share the news with you directly: New York City will close the Rikers Island jail. This is going to take a lot of work, many years, and a number of tough decisions along the way, but it will happen,” de Blasio wrote in the letter he sent out to supporters on April 12.