Costa Constantinides, Stand on the right side of NYC history and say, with us, No New Jails
An appeal to a Queens Borough President Candidate from Queens DSA
Councilman Costa Constantinides,
On the 24th of September, you addressed residents at Queensbridge Housing and expressed many sentiments that we at Queens DSA share. We agree that Rikers is a shameful mark on the history of our city. To address this lasting injustice, the facility must be closed immediately.
We also fundamentally agree that the power plants that have long polluted our Borough must go. While fueling climate change, the most pressing crisis of our time, these dirty facilities also impact vulnerable communities in our own neighborhoods. Environmental degradation disproportionately burdens the working class and oppressed. It is absolutely worth the money it would take to secure a just and sustainable future for our Borough, our city, and our planet. Thank you for positioning yourself on the right side of this crucial fight.
However, we urge you to recognize that wasting $11 billion dollars in building new jails is not the answer. It perpetuates the very injustices you have stood against while throwing precious city resources into the perpetuation of an unjust system. Many of the same communities impacted by environmental racism are impacted by the heavy hand of our criminal justice system. Decentralizing the carceral state does nothing to solve the underlying crisis of either climate change or mass incarceration. This city could be leading the country on ending the stain of mass incarceration, but by building new jails, we will squander that opportunity. You have demonstrated your commitment to justice in your opposition to Rikers and the power plants in western Queens. We now ask that you extend those same principles to the battle against the building of new jails with your vote on Thursday, Oct. 17th.
We are happy for your help with the fight against climate change. Locking up members of oppressed communities in cages is not the way. There are few worse ways to treat our earth than by scattering it with more cages for our neighbors. We urge you to stand on the right side of the history of our city and say, with us, No New Jails.
With appreciation,
Queens DSA OC
