Advocates and some city council members rallied outside City Hall on the construction delay of borough-specific jails.

After Mayor Eric Adams announced that construction on a Brooklyn jail would take longer than expected, prison reform advocates say this jeopardizes the city’s plan to close Rikers Island.

People have been saying that the city needs to close Rikers for years because of the dangerous conditions there. Those who support this goal say the mayor needs to get the ball rolling.

In 2021, leaders like public advocate Jumaane Williams visited the jail and said the conditions there were inhumane. The city council passed a law in 2019 to permanently close Rikers Island by 2027 and replace it with a borough-based jail system.

Earlier this week, News 12 reported the city’s construction on a Brooklyn jail wouldn’t be done until 2029.