A City Without Cages: Connecting Data, Advocacy, and Power Building

What does a city without cages look like—and what must New York City’s next mayor do to make it real?

In this virtual convening, the Pretrial Justice Institute, The Bronx Defenders, and the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU Law come together to imagine a future rooted in care, safety, and community well-being—not punishment.

Building on insights from the recent report A City Without Cages, we discuss how the crisis at Rikers Island and the criminalization of poverty stem from policy choices—not inevitability. The report shows that alternatives to incarceration are working, while also exposing the structural gaps created when systems fail to invest in housing, healthcare, and community stability.

Key questions explored in this conversation:

What policy commitments should the next mayor make to end the criminalization of poverty—including outdated vagrancy laws and policing tied to gentrification?

How can city planning and design prioritize belonging, safety, and care instead of exclusion and punishment?

What housing, wellness, and economic investments are essential to building a thriving New York City that supports people rather than penalizes them?

Our shared goal: to connect data, advocacy, and community power to build a city rooted in dignity—not detention.

Watch, share, and help shape the vision of a New York City without cages.