It’s long been one of the United States' most infamous jails. Now Rikers Island looks set to become a renewable energy hub, a plan for which New York City environmental justice organizers have campaigned since the closure of the jail complex was announced in 2019—

As Rikers Island is set to shutter in 2026, elected officials and activists are hoping the land will be put to use that will environmentally benefit the city.

Survivors of Rikers have demanded that any future use of the —

After five years of struggle, the New York City Council voted last month to finally shutter the house of horrors that is Rikers Island. Closing this facility, however, is only the first step toward true restorative justice. New York City must invest in the communities that have borne the brunt of the over-policing—

In the East River, between the Bronx and Queens, sits a 400-acre landmass known as Rikers Island. Since 1932, New Yorkers have been banished there when accused of a crime or a parole violation, or to serve short sentences. Tens of thousands of people cycle through Rikers each year, but until recently—

A trio of new City Council bills would lay the ground work to convert Rikers Island from its current state, a notorious jail complex, to a hub of renewable energy.

The “Renewable Rikers Act,” crafted by Queens Council —