Rikers Island sits in the middle of the East River
and has been highly criticized for the violence and conditions inside.
A billboard sits above Hamilton Place and 13th
Street in Gowanus, sharing a message that says “WE ARE HERE” in bright red
words, with an arrow pointing towards Rikers Island.
“Rikers Island, in addition to being one of the worst of the
worst situations, everyone knows the people who work there don’t want to go
there,” said Catherine Gund, a filmmaker and activist that partnered with “For
Freedoms” to make this happen.
Gund hopes the billboard serves as a reminder that New
Yorkers are not far removed from the chaos that advocates say go on at the
complex.
The jail complex currently holds over 5,000 inmates, and six
inmates have died in the facility just this year. Rikers Island is set to close
by 2027.