Law360: Closing Rikers May Pave New Path For Mentally Ill Inmates

“New York City’s move to close the notorious prison Rikers Island could be an important step in making sure people suffering from mental illnesses, who make up half of America’s incarcerated population of 2.3 million, aren’t lost in the criminal justice system, according to speakers at an event on the problems of mass incarceration…

Roberts and Mayfield were joined on the panel by Karume James of Bronx Defenders, Abigail Swenstein of The Legal Aid Society and moderator Billy Freeland, an attorney at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP and secretary of CB8. New York City Council member and chair of the criminal justice committee, Keith Powers, also made an appearance.”

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