Public Advocate Jumaane Williams acquired right into a heated argument on Monday afternoon with the New York Correction Officers’ union after he made a shock go to to Rikers Island.
Picture by Dean Moses
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams acquired right into a heated argument in Queens on Monday afternoon with the pinnacle of a correction officers’ union after making a shock go to to Rikers Island.
Williams, the second highest-ranking citywide elected official, made the unannounced go to to Rikers Monday morning after, he mentioned, his workplace acquired considerations of modifications going down on the Rose Singer Heart — notably that of overcrowding through which male inmates have been housed within the feminine facility.
“It is a housing facility that was, until recently, for women detainees. Apparently, corrections have now begun putting men in those facilities as well. So, there’s concern about what was going on,” Williams mentioned throughout a press convention on Might 5 on the nook of Hazen Avenue and nineteenth Avenue, simply outdoors the doorway to the power. “What we’re seeing here, in my opinion, is not everybody moving in the same direction to actually close Rikers and lessen the population. Quite frankly, we’re seeing some of the opposite.”
However the convention, held within the pouring rain, took a heated flip when Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Affiliation, confronted Williams and charged that the general public advocate had forgotten about his union members.
In response to Williams, he made a pop-up look on the embattled penal island after he mentioned his workplace acquired considerations of modifications going down on the Rose Singer Heart, most notably that of overcrowding that has now positioned males within the feminine facility.Picture by Dean Moses
Encroaching on Williams with a wall of umbrellas and rain operating down their backs, issues rapidly spiraled right into a heated debate.
“I have never seen you come in front of this sign strictly for us — never!” Boscio roared, pointing at Williams. “You only come in front of this sign when you are advocating for people in custody.”
“Benny, stop,” Williams mentioned. “I can’t respond to seven people at once.”
Correction Officers’ Benevolent affiliation and Jumaane Williams argue after the Public advocate makes a shock go to to Rikers Island. pic.twitter.com/luo9pCaMyp
Boscio advised New York News that he feels that Williams just isn’t pushing for the rights of officers, who they are saying are sometimes attacked whereas working and even sexually assaulted.
“If you’re the Public Advocate, you advocate for all the public, not just those who are incarcerated, and that is my biggest problem about what’s going on here,” Boscio mentioned. “We’re not dealing with turnstile jumpers anymore. You want to release everybody to the public? Okay, so pick your poison. You want crime in the streets?”
“I have never seen you come in front of this sign strictly for us — never!” Boscio roared, pointing at Williams. “You only come in front of this sign when you are advocating for people in custody.”Picture by Dean Moses
Williams, however, disagreed, saying that he has typically spoken in favor of officers who’re pressured to work lengthy hours in harmful situations. Furthermore, he additionally railed that the scenario just isn’t a one-choice-only affair, that he believes there are methods to soundly deflate ballooning numbers on the island.
“What we’ve seen happen in the state is we’ve seen some people released, particularly folks who are close to having finished serving their time. We’d like to see some more of that happening in the city. We should be focused on not increasing folks to Rikers Island but how do we make sure that people who are on there should not be on there,” Williams mentioned.
Ultimately, he pointed the finger of blame at Mayor Eric Adams, charging that he wasn’t severe about fulfilling the town mandate to shut Rikers in 2027.
”We appear to have an administration that doesn’t actually need to shut Rikers, that doesn’t agree we must be attempting to determine how we decrease the inhabitants and nonetheless preserve folks secure,” the general public advocate charged.
Inmate activists becoming a member of Williams for the press convention additionally voiced concern for the well-being of these incarcerated after 5 have already died in DOC custody this yr.
“The women are often forgotten. One in four are sexual assault survivors,” Chaplain Dr. Victoria Phillips mentioned. “Over 80% of the women right now in Rikers have a mental health concern that we are not addressing, that COC needs to address, that the judges could actually handle in their courtrooms instead of sending them to Rikers Island.”
Williams charged that he believes there are a couple of thousand people which can be presently housed on Rikers who ought to have been transferred to state jail, however whose reassignments have been delayed because of ongoing officer labor actions.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams acquired right into a heated argument on Monday afternoon with the New York Correction Officers’ union after he made a shock go to to Rikers Island.Picture by Dean Moses
