New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined more than 100 inmates at Rikers Island on Wednesday to watch the World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina, chatting with inmates in the city’s troubled jail complex.
The watch party was held inside Rikers’ gymnasium, where inmates gathered around a large projection screen after earning the privilege through good behavior, according to the city’s Department of Correction. Officials said the jail has hosted roughly 90 World Cup watch parties since the tournament began, with about 4,500 of the facility’s approximately 6,600 inmates participating.
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Mamdani, who stopped by during the match, greeted inmates table by table and spoke with several about the game and their plans after leaving jail.
“The World Cup has been a magical moment for the entire city,” Mamdani said. “They are New Yorkers, and they will be New Yorkers when they get out of Rikers.”
Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards, himself a former Rikers inmate, defended the viewing events as a way to improve safety outside the jail.
“Programs like this equal safety in our jail,” Richards said. “What we say to them is that your humanity is seen, heard, and valued.”
The visit comes amid Mamdani’s push to close the prison, which he has made one of his signature criminal justice priorities. A 2019 city law requires the notorious jail complex to close and be replaced with a borough-based jail system, though the legally mandated 2027 deadline has repeatedly slipped amid construction delays and other setbacks.
While reaffirming his commitment to shuttering Rikers, Mamdani has acknowledged that the original timeline is unlikely to be met after years of delays under previous administrations. Last month, his administration permanently closed the North Infirmary Command, a vacant jail facility on Rikers, calling it a milestone toward ultimately ending operations at the Island complex.
Rikers Island has long faced criticism over violence, understaffing, and deteriorating conditions. A federal judge last year appointed an outside manager to help oversee reforms after finding persistent constitutional violations at the jail.
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Just one day before Mamdani’s visit, the federal remediation manager released another report describing continuing dysfunction, including fires set by inmates, unattended housing units, and frequent violence. The report concluded that “violence remains pervasive, basic correctional practices remain unreliable, and unconstitutional conditions persist.”
Mamdani has argued that closing Rikers, while expanding rehabilitation programs and reducing the jail population, is essential to replacing what has been called one of New York City’s greatest institutional failures.
