Katal Center for Equity, Health, & Justice

Josh is now showing community members how to assemble the zines.

Artist Josh MacPhee discusses the zine - #ShutRikers: A Brief History of Political Graphics in 15 Stickers. The zine traces the arc of reproducible political graphics over the past 100 years via a collection of 15 images that had been re-imagined as graphics mobilized to shut Rikers Island.

Zine-Making Event at our office

Our shut Rikers zines in the process of being made

People making zines are our Brooklyn office

This morning we’re hosting a Shut Rikers Zine-Making Event at our office in downtown Brooklyn.

We’re assembling zines which include a set of 15 ready-to-use Shut Rikers stickers, talking about different justice movements around the world, and building community together.

With our partners at the Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay College, We released a report about the mental health crisis at Rikers, with recommendations for how to address it. @mayor.nyc.gov we encourage your team to review this. At the very least, stop the revolving door asap.

The Revolving Door Between Rikers and City Hospitals Jail clinicians sometimes send people in crisis to city hospitals — only for them to be returned to Rikers Island within hours.

"Jail clinicians sometimes send people in crisis to city hospitals — only for them to be returned to Rikers Island within hours."

Why the revolving door between Rikers & city hospitals? This is inhumane, costly, and it disrupts efforts to close Rikers. @mayor.nyc.gov must stop this. #ShutRikers

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Monthly NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. The goals of the monthly NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call are: - Share and highlight issues, campaigns, and projects that groups are working on to advance statewide reform; - Identify ways ...

Join us for today’s #NYCJReformCall at noon!

We'll hear from:
◾Artie Malkin, Malkin & Ross
◾ @obiafriyie.bsky.social, NAACP Legal Defense Fund & Katerina Siira from NYU SPS
◾ @sumeetsharma.bsky.social, CANY
◾Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Bronx Defenders
◾Serena Martin, New Hour

RSVP: katal.info/newyork

Join us tomorrow, March 12th at 12pm for our monthly NY Criminal Justice Reform Call.

RSVP here: katal.info/newyork

On tomorrow call, speakers will provide updates on the state of emergency in NY's prisons, ending the use of detaining immigrants in NY prisons & jails and more. #NYCJReformCall

A Year Later, Incarcerated New Yorkers Are Still Paying the Price for Prison Guards’ Wildcat Strike Some of the lingering impacts: reduced family visitation days, limited recreation time, cuts to classes, and less access to required and elective programming.

The illegal wildcat strike has left NY prisons with reduced family visitations days, limited recreation time, and less access to required & elective programming.

Incarcerated people don't deserve to pay a heavy price for a wildcat strike they had nothing to do with.

hellgatenyc.com/ny-prison-st...

A Quieter Budget Battle on Criminal Justice and Prison Reform Amid a crisis in the state’s prison system, the governor’s and legislature’s budget proposals differ, but largely lack major reforms.

The @nysenate.bsky.social restores essential oversight funding for the Correctional Association of NY (CANY) in their proposed budget.

As the prison system remains in crisis, it’s vital that the Governor and legislative strengthen oversight bodies like CANY & the SCOC.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/10/c...

Third Death in Four Weeks Rocks Bedford Hills Women’s Prison This week’s death, which incarcerated people and advocates described as a suicide, comes at a time of turmoil in the facility.

Incarcerated women at Bedford Hills prison are experiencing trauma & abuse that underscores the crisis unfolding across NY prisons.

@governor.ny.gov needs to quickly appoint reform-oriented commissioners to the SCOC to help save lives of incarcerated people.

nysfocus.com/2026/03/05/b...

Join us this Thursday, March 12th at 12pm for our monthly NY Criminal Justice Reform Call!

RSVP here: katal.info/newyork

With the April 1st, FY26-27 executive budget deadline quickly approaching, we’ll spend extra time discussing the state budget, where things are landing and more! #NYCJReformCall

News10NBC Investigates: NY women face prison-visit bans due to body scanners mistaking tampons and contraceptives ALBANY, N.Y. — Women across New York are being banned from visiting their loved ones in state prisons due to body scanners mistaking personal items like tampons, contraceptives, and surgical mesh for ...

With the NYS prison system in a state of emergency and DOCCS continuing practices that further separate families, @governor.ny.gov must increase oversight and accountability by appointing reform-oriented commissioners to the State Commission of Correction.

www.whec.com/top-news/new...

New York City needs to get going on transforming Rikers, environmental activists say A new report released by advocates outlines the significant benefits of transforming Rikers into a renewable energy hub and wastewater treatment center.

NYC needs @mayor.nyc.gov to get moving to #ShutRikers

gothamist.com/news/new-yor...

ICE detainer requests to NYC jails more than doubled under Trump — Queens Daily Eagle The number of times Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents asked the Department of Correction to give them a heads up before a detainee’s release so that they could make an arrest more than double...

The DOC must follow the city’s sanctuary laws & not collude with ICE to help the Trump administration carrying out their dangerous deportation agenda in NYC.

In Albany, the NYS Legislature must pass #NY4ALL to end all collusion & collaboration with ICE. #ICEOutNYC

queenseagle.com/all/2026/3/5...

Join us next Thursday, March 12th at 12pm for our monthly NY Criminal Justice Reform Call.

RSVP here: katal.info/newyork

On the call, we'll hear from organizers & advocates from across NY leading campaigns to end torture in state prisons, protect immigrant New Yorkers, and more! #NYCJReformCall

The last speaker is the @advocate.nyc.gov who speakers about closing gaps, cutting contacts, and using every tool at our disposal to end all collusion and collaborating with ICE. #ICEOutNYC

Next, @abbystein.bsky.social from @jfrejnyc.bsky.social speaks about how New Yorkers are immigrants and it’s morally bankrupt and historically inaccurate to spin it any other way. We must protect and support immigrants.

Yasmine from IDP speaking

Now, Yasmine Farhang from @immdefenseproject.bsky.social talks about how the City has failed to protect immigrant New Yorkers. Immigrants and community groups have been ringing the alarm bell for years. The city can no longer sit by while our communities are getting targeted by ICE.

Next up, @cmalexaaviles.bsky.social discusses how the City Council must do more than just oversight, the City must use every tool at their disposal to protect immigrant New Yorkers from ICE.

Speaker from Families for Freedom

Next, we’re hearing from Messiah from Families for Freedom discusses how his father was unjustly targeted for his activism and deported by ICE. Unfortunately, this is one of the many examples of the harmful family separation taking place across the city. #ICEOutNYC

Speaker from the NYIC

Now, we’re hearing from Vladimir Tlali from @thenyic.bsky.social who discusses how the City must use everything in their power to protect immigrant New Yorkers from ICE. We know the previous administration colluded with ICE, and now we must strengthen protections. NYers are under attack.

CM Brooks-Powers speaking at the rally.

Next up, @cmbrookspowers.bsky.social, chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice, discusses how the DOC must follow the sanctuary laws and ensure ICE has no presence on Rikers.

Rally at City Hall with ICE Out NYC and City Council Members

We’re at City Hall with ICE Out NYC! and @thenyic.bsky.social for a rally to
demand the DOC and the NYPD uphold our sanctuary laws to protect New Yorkers from ICE and Trumps dangerous deportation agenda. City agencies must be working for us,
NOT collaborating with ICE.

Rodney Reid’s story highlights the horrors, trauma, & dehumanization of solitary confinement at Rikers.

While NYC must end this torturous practice & implement Local Law 42, we know the only real solution is for @mayor.nyc.gov to shut down Rikers. #ShutRikers
solitarywatch.org/2026/03/03/i...

RELEASE: Yesterday, we issued this statement calling on @governor.ny.gov to strengthen and fully fund independent prison oversight agencies (the SCOC and CANY).

At a time when more oversight is needed, is it inconceivable and shortsighted to cut funding to CANY.
katalcenter.org/2026/03/fund...

Katal New York Update - February 26, 2026 - Katal Center In this issue: - NY4ALL Rally & Lobby Day - SCOC February Monthly Meeting - Save the Date: No Kings 3 on March 28th - March Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call

Check out our most recent bi-weekly New York Update.

Here's what's included:
◾New York For All Advocacy Day in Albany
◾SCOC February Monthly Meeting
◾Save the Date: No Kings 3 on March 28th
◾March Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call
and more!

katalcenter.org/2026/02/kata...

As state lawmakers advance additional reforms to the State Commission of Correction (SCOC), @governor.ny.gov should implement the oversight reforms to the commission from last year. She must appoint reform-oriented commissioners to the SCOC.
www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/...

@governor.ny.gov must expand the use of clemency to bring elders & those serving excessive sentences home.

To improve conditions in NY prisons, she must effectively implement the Prison Oversight Omnibus bill by appointing reform-minded commissioners to the SCOC to ensure it fulfills its mandate.

Dangerous to Feel This Desperate: How to Ease Prison Chaos in NY Dangerous to Feel This Desperate: How to Ease Prison Chaos in NY

"COs and [incarcerated people] both have lower life expectancies and higher rates of PTSD, suicide and depression than other people in society."

The NY legislature must pass the Earned Time Act & the Second Look Act to expand opportunities for release.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/03/i...

The Governor should ensure that CANY is fully funded and that oversight is strengthened and increased throughout New York's jails and prisons.

Instead of cutting funding to CANY, the Governor should focus on strengthening oversight bodies & appointing reform-oriented commissioners on the SCOC.