Final Intervention

Stop the Mega Jail

my website (draft and will be updated): https://stopthemegajail.myportfolio.com/ 

My plan for Intervention 3 is to make a website with information on the proposed mega jail to be built in Manhattan's Chinatown. This is currently the site of around half of the jails in Manhattan and the home of a community that has suffered greatly in the last few years due to COVID and racism towards Asians due to COVID. This jail is extremely expensive, would take almost until the next decade to build, and would become the world's tallest jail. Why would you put something like this in a downtown area of one of the most populated cities in the world? And why in an area that is already suffering intense financial hardship?

I'm including a poster series that is downloadable for others to spread awareness as well as more information from non-profits like Welcome to Chinatown which established the Longevity Fund for Chinatown restaurants to stay afloat and the Change.org petition to sign.

Some text I'm including:

What the Mega Jail is:

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a bill in 2017 to close Rikers Island and create a system of humane, borough-based jails. The Manhattan jail is set to be placed in Chinatown, costing $8.3 billion dollars, and is supposed to be under construction until 2027. At a towering 40 floors, it would be the tallest prison in the world. 

Current Chinatown Jail situation:

Chinatown is already home to the Manhattan Detention Center, commonly known as “The Tombs” on 125 White Street. The plan for the new mega jail would include the demolition of these two buildings as well as other neighboring local businesses.

Chinatown has already suffered harsh financial difficulties and racism in the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses have been forced to close with little to no customers. Attacks on Asian Americans have skyrocketed in the past two years, unprovoked and violent, even fatal.