BROOKLYN, NY — A 32-year-old man died at Rikers Island early Sunday, marking the
14th person to lose their life in city correctional custody this year, officials said.
Around 2 a.m., officers found Brooklyn resident Aramis Furse “appearing unwell” at the
Otis Bantum Correctional Center and rushed him to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital,
where he was pronounced dead within 90 minutes, a department representative said.
Department of Correction officials have not disclosed specifics about what led to his
death as of Tuesday morning.
“The Department is mourning the tragic death of an individual in our custody. We
extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family,” city Correction
Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said in a statement. “The safety of everyone in
our care is always our foremost concern, and we will fully investigate this tragedy.”
Officials said the Department of Investigation, the State Commission of Correction, and
other agencies were notified, and that the medical examiner had not yet determined a
cause of death as of Tuesday.
“Furse’s family, loved ones, and counsel deserve immediate access to all information
surrounding his death. Full transparency and accountability are essential, particularly
given DOC’s repeated failure to keep families and attorneys informed or provide the
answers they urgently need,” The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services said
in a joint statement.
According to The Legal Aid Society, Furse is at least the 14th person to die this year at
Rikers Island or shortly after being released from DOC custody.
His death comes just weeks after the Board of Correction issued a report on earlier
deaths, highlighting the City’s repeated failure to implement the Board’s
recommendations for preventing fatalities.
“With the City’s jail population reaching its highest level in years at nearly 7,000 people,
Mr. Furse’s tragic death serves as yet another stark example of how dangerous
conditions are inside Rikers Island and how ill-equipped DOC is to handle this crisis,”
the joint statement continued.
On Sunday, the Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice, a community organization
that has long criticized conditions at Rikers Island, added that nearly 50 inmates have
died at the jail since early 2022 and accused the Department of Correction of “utterly
failing at its responsibilities.”