Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Ninth Custodial Death at Rikers Intensifies Calls for Reform

The latest Rikers death exposes critical gaps in inmate healthcare under federal supervision.

Image
A New York City Department of Correction bus drives toward the Rikers Island jails on Jan. 15, 2022.

Overview

  • A detainee at the Eric M. Taylor Center suffered a medical emergency in a bathroom on July 22 and was pronounced dead around 8:30 a.m., marking the ninth custody-related fatality this year.
  • An officer rendered aid before medical staff arrived, but the man could not be revived, and authorities have not released his identity as they work to notify his family.
  • Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said every death in DOC care is investigated and pledged a thorough review of the incident.
  • The City Council has approved legislation to require prompt family notifications for in-custody deaths, but Mayor Eric Adams has not yet indicated whether he will sign the bill.
  • Rikers has been under federal receivership since 2015, and a remediation manager appointed in May is charged with addressing chronic overcrowding and healthcare deficiencies ahead of the jail’s planned 2027 closure.