Some criminal justice advocates have gone so far as to oppose any new replacement jails, arguing that they would perpetuate widespread incarceration without addressing the underlying factors that cause people to be arrested and jailed.

“Why are we going to allow mass incarceration that we know is connected to slavery and racism and white supremacy to thrive in New York City by building new jails?” asked Brittany Williams, 30, a community organizer who is part of a group called No New Jails NYC . “The city has failed for decades to hold themselves accountable for how people are being treated once they are incarcerated.”

For the first time, the City Council will get a chance on Thursday to formally weigh in on the proposal, which would create jails of similar size in four of the city’s five boroughs.

The hearing, which will be held by members of a land-use subcommittee, could be one of the last public forums before the Council decides its fate in mid-October.

Despite opposition over the location of some of the new jails, the overall plan has won the support of several key Council members whose districts will host the new sites. The new jail system is expected to cost around $8.7 billion and take up to a decade to complete.