Send in Your Testimonies: Stop the Manhattan Borough Based Jail Contract
On Friday, March 7, the New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice hosted a FY26 Budget Hearing. Welcome to Chinatown testified with seniors from Immigrant Social Services, Community Board 1, and Charles B. Wang to underscore the harms of the Manhattan Borough Based Jail in its current size and scope.
We now need your help. Voice your opposition to the costs of the Manhattan Borough Based Jail by emailing the City Council to demand they reassess the proposal and stop the signing of the construction contract. Scroll to the bottom of the page for instructions and an email template.
The Manhattan Borough-Based Jail Will Be One of the Most Expensive Buildings in the City
We have already seen the severe risks the construction poses to Chinatown’s economic and social health. The ongoing demolition and construction have been disruptive, harming businesses by causing a drop in foot traffic, creating hazardous noise, and making the area less safe. But new information about the economic burden of this project raises even more concerns.
The construction of Manhattan’s borough-based jail, with a staggering price tag of $3.8 billion, is not only one of the most expensive building projects in the city, but it also comes at a high cost to the long-term health and well-being of the Chinatown neighborhood.
While the facility will house just 1,000 people, it is part of a larger $16 billion plan to build four jails across the city, ignoring the preferences of local residents who have expressed concern about the project's impact.
Chinatown is already facing challenges such as rising rents and displacement, especially for vulnerable seniors, and adding a jail to the planned site will only exacerbate these issues. This enormous investment, which could total $16 billion—equivalent to the city’s yearly spending on 75,000 public school teachers—focuses on incarceration rather than addressing the root causes of crime or investing in community-based solutions that would support the neighborhood's long-term health.
What Can You Do?
We are calling on you to join us in demanding that the City Council listen to the voices of Chinatown residents. Use the below template to guide your email to the City Council. In order to be considered, your email must be sent by 3PM Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
While a template is below, we strongly encourage you to modify the template based on your own tone and experiences.
——
Subject: Testimony in Opposition to the Size and Scope of the Manhattan Borough-Based Jail Project
Hearing Date: March 7, 2025
Hearing: Fiscal Year 2026 Preliminary Budget Hearing
Committee: Criminal Justice
Send to: testimony@council.nyc.gov
Dear Members of the Committee on Criminal Justice,
My name is [Your Name], and I am a [your role—business owner, resident, community advocate, etc.] in [your neighborhood] and am submitting a written testimony for the FY26 Preliminary Budget Hearing: Committee on Criminal Justice that took place on March 7, 2025. I am deeply concerned about the ongoing and future impact of the Manhattan borough-based jail project on our neighborhood.
Chinatown is one of the most vulnerable communities in New York City. Nearly one-third of residents live in poverty, we have one of the largest elderly populations in the city, and 94% of our businesses are small, family-owned establishments that sustain our local economy. The proposed jail will exacerbate economic, social, and environmental burdens that our community is already struggling to overcome.
The ongoing demolition and construction have already inflicted significant harm on businesses and residents. I have personally experienced [describe specific harm: loss of foot traffic, noise and air pollution, lack of communication from city agencies, etc.].
Historically, Chinatown has endured the presence of jails and other city-imposed infrastructure projects that have prioritized institutional interests over the needs of our community. However, this project—at its unprecedented scale—threatens to displace businesses, decrease property values, and further isolate our neighborhood from the rest of the city. The Chinatown community has continuously voiced opposition to this jail, yet our concerns have not been meaningfully acknowledged or addressed in this process.
If the City is committed to justice, it must not pursue policies that disproportionately harm working-class immigrant neighborhoods like ours. Instead of allocating billions of taxpayer dollars to a carceral expansion, those resources should be redirected toward services that actually improve community safety—affordable housing, mental health services, youth programs, and economic investments that uplift our neighborhood rather than displace it.
I urge the Committee to:
Halt further construction of the Manhattan borough-based jail and reassess the current plan, budget, and timeline.
Hold the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Correction (DOC) accountable for ongoing environmental and economic harm and require mitigation measures.
Demand a genuine engagement process with the Chinatown community, prioritizing local voices in decision-making rather than imposing harmful policies.
Chinatown has always been a place of resilience, culture, and small business entrepreneurship. We should be investing in its future—not forcing a carceral project that threatens its survival. I appreciate your time and consideration and strongly urge you to reconsider the city’s priorities to ensure that Chinatown remains a thriving community for generations to come.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Organization]
[Your Contact Information]
