Rikers Island, New York’s most notorious jail, is a decrepit monument to an era of mass incarceration that robbed generations of black, Hispanic and other Americans of their humanity.

It is scheduled to close by the end of 2026.

On Thursday, the City Council voted to build four jails across the city, a critical step toward making the closing of Rikers a reality. The plan it approved will further shrink the capacity of the city’s jails from about 22,000 to around 3,800.

The vote came amid a raucous scene in Lower Manhattan. Protesters passionately opposed to building any new jails chained themselves to the City Hall gates. One group of Chinatown residents implored Councilwoman Margaret Chin to vote against rebuilding the jail in their district. Police officers stood by with plastic cuf fs.