Miguelina Bloise

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Miguelina Bloise has lived in New York for two decades. She discusses the nine years she's spent visiting her incarcerated son at Rikers. She originally visited her son everyday, but now she visits him once a week, on Sundays. Throughout the interview, she pleads again and again for the humanity of her son and other detained individuals, noting: "they are not animals, they are humans." When discussing the corrupt culture of Rikers and the need to close the facility, she says: "Dismantle it until there’s nothing left." (Summary written by: Annie Anderson)