FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 22, 2022
Contact: Yonah Zeitz, yonah@katalcenter.org | (347) 201-2769
Follow on Twitter @KatalCenter | #CutShutInvestNY
Rikers in Crisis– Another Person Dies at Notorious Jail Complex, the 17th This Year
A Grisly Milestone as Deaths in 2022 Surpass All Deaths in 2021
Community Groups Demand Mayor Adams Cut the Number of People Detained at Rikers and Shut Down the Jail Now
New York, NY: This morning, the news broke that yet another incarcerated person died at the Rikers Island Jail Complex. This is the 17th death of an incarcerated person on Rikers this year. Last year was among the deadliest on record at Rikers, and 2022 already exceeded this grisly benchmark.
Statement from Alfredo Perez, Member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice.
“To learn that yet another person has passed away at Rikers making it the 17th death this year is heartbreaking. How many more people need to die before Mayor Eric Adams does anything? How many more families need to grieve the death of a loved one before he moves to close down Riker’s Island? Earlier this year, I spent 31 days behind bars at Rikers Island awaiting my parole hearing. During my time there, I was attacked and got my hand broken. The correctional officers did absolutely nothing to keep me safe. Instead, the correctional officer walked off his post and left me in the hallway. I was sleeping on the floor and received no medical attention. This is the treatment that human beings are getting in NYC jails. There is absolutely no compassion. I could have easily been one of the 17th people that passed away at Rikers. The only thing that kept me going was my family. I am lucky to be home now and to be with my loved ones. The individuals that died at Rikers Island were robbed of that. My heart goes out to them and their loved ones. Mayor Eric Adams, you must stop destroying families and shut down Rikers Island now!”
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