1940: Detainees Demand Their Rights

Five years after the new facility’s celebrated opening, the Rikers Review begins printing a platform on the inside cover entitled “We Seek.” This brief list of demands centers on the need for more comprehensive educational and vocational programs with adequate facilities. Beyond this, the authors insist on the right to skilled jobs and resources upon release. Lastly, the platform advocates for public education to eliminate the stigma surrounding incarceration. “The released prisoner,” the platform states, “has paid his penalty and is entitled to a chance of learning an honest livelihood.”