Rikers Public Memory Project

The Rikers Public Memory Project (RPMP) collects and makes visible the stories of people most impacted by Rikers Island, to mobilize action toward repairing its generational harms and interrupting the dehumanizing narratives about people harmed by Rikers. Our vision is a New York City and society that has chosen a culture of care over punishment. OUR VALUES ACCOUNTABILITY: Narrators always own their narratives and decisions about how their narratives are used. ECOSYSTEM OF CARE: We provide support for the entire community involved in the project with trauma-informed practices. BUILDING COMMUNITY: We bring stories of Rikers and their narrators together, recognizing that our collective voice gets us closer to the truth. SYSTEMIC CHANGE: We use public memory in pursuit of reparative justice for the communities that bear the mounting cost of incarceration.