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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

A woman holds a sign demanding the closure of the Rikers Island jail. Activists are criticizing the rising death toll and inhumane living conditions, and New York City has pledged to close Rikers Island in 2027. (Photo by Sam Clegg)

Opinion: Close Rikers now

Amid an alarming rise in suicides, neglect and unlivable conditions, it is incumbent upon Mayor Bill de Blasio to shut down Rikers Island jail complex and stop wasting taxpayer money on pointless reforms.
Asha Ramachandran, Opinion Editor September 30, 2021

After touring Rikers Island on Monday, Sept. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio noted the city’s progress in improving the jail. However, he failed to mention the deadly overcrowding,...

The Case for Prison Abolition

Read one writer’s take on the recent incident at MDC Brooklyn and what it says about the criminal justice system as a whole.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor February 6, 2019

In the midst of New York’s frigid weather last weekend, Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn, a pre-trial federal detention center for low-level offenders, lost power and heating....