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For those that don't know, this is a county jail with low level people being held on misdemeanor ticket violations as well as violent offenders. The man is an insensitive jack*****.
Sun Oct 28, 2012 at 01:47 PM PDT SAVAGE: Bloomberg Asked About Inmates at Rikers Isle, Responds "Don't worry about them getting out."
by The TroubadourFollow for Writing by David Harris Gershon
During his press conference just now, a reporter asked Mayor Bloomberg about the status of inmates on Rikers Island with Hurricane Sandy approaching. The question was asked out of concern for the inmates' safety with dangerous storm surges approaching and nowhere for them to go.
However, Bloomberg apparently thinks those jailed are sub-human, and therefore aren't considered worthy of saving, for his answer was to allay fears about them getting out. Which is precisely what is needed: they must get out and be evacuated!
Here are a few reactions just after Bloomberg's answer:
Liliana Segura @LilianaSegura
"Don't worry about anybody getting out," is Bloomberg's response to a question about plans for inmates at Rikers Island. What an *******.
This won't be the first time inmates on Rikers are going to be left for dead at a hurricane's approach. In a story titled "Locked Up and Left Behind: Hurricane Irene and the Prisoners on New York’s Rikers Island," Jean Casella and James Ridgeway dissected Bloomberg's last response in 2010:
“We are not evacuating Rikers Island,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a news conference this afternoon. Bloomberg annouced a host of extreme measures being taken by New York City in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, including a shutdown of the public transit system and the unprecedented mandatory evacuation of some 250,000 people from low-lying areas. But in response to a reporter’s question, the mayor stated in no uncertain terms (and with more than a hint of annoyance) that one group of New Yorkers on vulnerable ground will be staying put.
He was annoyed by the question then, when he left them for dead, and he was annoyed by the question today as a far more deadly storm that promises to flood Manhattan approaches. And about Rikers Island's vulnerability?
According to the New York City Department of Corrections’ own website, more than three-quarters of Rikers Island’s 400 acres are built on landfill–which is generally thought to be more vulnerable to natural disasters. Its ten jails have a capacity of close to 17,000 inmates, and normally house at least 12,000, including juveniles and large numbers of prisoners with mental illness–not to mention pre-trial detainees who have yet to be convicted of any crime. There are also hundreds of corrections officers at work on the island.
There are juveniles at Rikers. Prisoners with mental illnesses. Those detained without being charged with a crime. And thousands of other inmates who are no less human, no less worthy of protection from New York City.
And yet, Bloomberg may be leaving these people to die. During Irene, NYC was spared. If the opposite occurs this time, and if forecasts about the severity of the storm surges are correct, we may be looking at a grotesque, preventable and utterly horrific tragedy in the making on Rikers Island.
But don't tell Bloomberg that. He'll just be annoyed.
What would like him to do? There's ~12'000 inmates on Riker's Island, he can't just ship them all to Sing sing for the weekend.
And think of how heartless they are in California, locking people in cells when an earthquake could come at any second.
This isn't California and we've had several days warning on this.
What about the staff??? Does he not care about them either?
Last I read, the jails are so overcrowded they have some of them living on barges which could most definitely go under.
The least this twerp could do is release the ones on misdemeanor offenses or move the mentally ill to hospitals under guard. The stupid man worries about how much sugar and fat we consume, but can't worry about lives that could be saved.
Logistically it is a nightmare....it should be addressed but as far as what to do with the prisoners I do not think anyone could really come up with a plan.
The National Guard would have to be called up as all local enforcement will be directed to both pre and post storm duty.
Madison Square Garden is the only place they could most likely take them......but look what happened in the dome with non prisoners during Katrina in New Orleans.
This is one decision I would not want to be responsible for
Logistically it is a nightmare....it should be addressed but as far as what to do with the prisoners I do not think anyone could really come up with a plan.
The National Guard would have to be called up as all local enforcement will be directed to both pre and post storm duty.
Madison Square Garden is the only place they could most likely take them......but look what happened in the dome with non prisoners during Katrina in New Orleans.
This is one decision I would not want to be responsible for
This isn't New Orleans. You can't compare a backwards city like that with this one.
Look, I'm not the Mayor. I don't get paid for this, but I'm sure there are "some" prisoners that could go home, if they're there for not paying a jumping the turnstile ticket, paying child support or stealing a candybar or some nonsense.
What if it was you? What if you didn't come to court to pay a parking fine, got arrested for an outstanding warrant and you can't leave until you see a judge which won't be until AFTER the storm?
For those that don't know, this is a county jail with low level people being held on misdemeanor ticket violations as well as violent offenders. The man is an insensitive jack*****.
Why the f do you care about the livlyhood of these freaken prisioners? Why are you sympathic to them? You have family members or friends up in Rikers? The hell with those prisoners. They are the scum of NY. Let them suffer. Its prison, not a 5 star hotel. If you ask me, they have way too many liberties in Rikers. The point of prison is to make it as unpleasant as possible to deter people from going back again.
This isn't New Orleans. You can't compare a backwards city like that with this one.
Look, I'm not the Mayor. I don't get paid for this, but I'm sure there are "some" prisoners that could go home, if they're there for not paying a jumping the turnstile ticket or not paying child support.
What if it was you? What if you didn't come to court to pay a parking fine, got arrested for an outstanding warrant and you can't leave until you see a judge which won't be until AFTER the storm?
Hell, you could be DEAD by then.
I'm pretty sure you're trolling by now. Blew your cover way too early. 4/10.
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