Residents of New York’s Chinatown are speaking out against the construction of a new megajail in the neighborhood that would be a third as high as the Empire State Building, which would likely make it the tallest jail in the world, if finished. The so-called jailscraper is part of an $8 billion plan to build new jails across the city in order to retire the infamous Rikers Island facility, but opponents say that money would be better spent on social services, harm reduction and other initiatives that would better serve the community. Jan Lee, co-founder of the community group Neighbors United Below Canal, says Chinatown residents are interested in “creating a more humane environment for those who are incarcerated.” We also speak with Christopher Marte, who represents the area on New York City Council, and Jon Alpert, co-founder of the community media center DCTV, based in Chinatown for half a century, who has been documenting the struggle.
Let’s be clear about the history of Chinatown. We have had a jail at that site since 1838, so we are very familiar with how the city, with varying administrations, has torn down jails and built bigger ones in their place. And every time that they’ve built a bigger one, they were just as dysfunctional as the ones before them. And so, what we’re saying is we’re in a very unique position as a community that has fully accepted our part in creating a more humane environment for those who are incarcerated. It’s very important to understand that, that we are accepting of this.
— source democracynow.org | Dec 05, 2022