RIKERS An American Jail

🎬 Rikers: An American Jail A Documentary by Five Mualimm-ak and Bill Moyers Released: 2016 Produced by: Moyers & Company in collaboration with Five Mualimm-ak Featuring: Formerly incarcerated New Yorkers who survived Rikers Island Runtime: Approximately 56 minutes About the Film Rikers: An American Jail is a groundbreaking documentary that exposes the human toll of incarceration inside New York City’s notorious Rikers Island Jail Complex. The film centers the voices of those who lived it — men and women who recount the violence, fear, and trauma they endured while detained, often before ever being convicted of a crime. Through these personal stories, the film confronts issues of racial injustice, mass incarceration, and human rights abuses, offering the public a raw and intimate understanding of what it means to be held at Rikers. Co-produced by Five Mualimm-ak, a formerly incarcerated survivor and human rights activist, and Bill Moyers, the veteran journalist and PBS host, the film combines storytelling and social impact to inspire change. The project has been screened nationally at universities, policy forums, and community events, often followed by panels and advocacy discussions focused on closing Rikers and ending solitary confinement. About Rikers Island Rikers Island is one of the largest jail complexes in the United States, holding on average 7,000–10,000 people — the majority of them awaiting trial because they cannot afford bail. Over decades, Rikers has become infamous for: Extreme violence among detainees and correction officers Inhumane conditions, medical neglect, and systemic abuse Rampant use of solitary confinement, including against youth and people with mental illness Hundreds of preventable deaths due to neglect, suicide, or untreated health emergencies Reports by the U.S. Department of Justice and New York City’s own Board of Correction have described Rikers as a “culture of brutality.” Public outrage and years of organizing by formerly incarcerated people — including Five Mualimm-ak and the Jails Action Coalition (JAC) — led to a historic city decision to close Rikers Island, though the process remains ongoing. Five Mualimm-ak: Filmmaker, Organizer, and Human Rights Advocate Five Mualimm-ak is an internationally recognized human rights activist, writer, and filmmaker dedicated to ending mass incarceration and solitary confinement in the United States. A survivor of wrongful conviction and more than five years in solitary confinement, Mualimm-ak transformed his personal trauma into a lifelong mission for justice and healing. He is the founder and executive director of the Incarcerated Nation Network (INN) — a collective of directly impacted people leading national campaigns for prison reform and reentry justice Rikers: An American Jail continues to be used as an educational and organizing tool nationwide — a catalyst for reform, abolitionist thinking, and restorative approaches to justice. Five Mualimm-ak’s work bridges art, policy, and activism — reminding audiences that “those who are most harmed must lead the way to healing and change.”