1978: Koch Administration Unveils Plan to Close Rikers

Deputy Mayor of Correction, Herb Sturtz, proposes a plan to sell Rikers to the state and open borough-based facilities. The plan is supported by stakeholders and the chairman of the Board of Correction. At one of several public hearings, Legal Aid Society representative Archibald Murray testifies, “the facility is and for years has been overpopulated and understaffed, and the design is beyond remedy.” The Correction Officers Benevolent Association president, speaking in opposition, calls the plan an “ill-conceived experiment.” As Koch prepares for reelection, the agreement falls apart. Sturtz will engage in another movement to close Rikers nearly 30 years later.