FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 20, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz: yonah@katalcenter.org • 347-201-2769
Follow on socials @KatalCenter • #ShutRikers #CutShutInvestNY
Another Death at Rikers, the 2nd Person to Die this Week and the First Woman to Pass Away this Year
As the Crisis on Rikers Worsens and the Death Toll Rises, Adams Doubles Down on His Commitment to Keep Rikers Open, Driving the Jail Population Over 7000
New York, NY: This morning, news broke that another person died at Rikers Island. This is the first woman to die in NYC jails this year. Two people have died at Rikers this week, and at least the 37th person to have died since Eric Adams became mayor in 2022.
Under Mayor Adams, conditions at Rikers have continued to worsen. Violence is out of control, and the federal court is on the verge of taking over the jail complex due to the deadly conditions incarcerated people face. Yesterday, instead of working to address the crisis at Rikers, Adams once again called the plan to close Rikers “flawed” and doubled down on his commitment to keep Rikers open. A report issued yesterday by the Lippman Commission confirms, again, that Rikers will not be closed by the legal deadline of 2027.
Statements from Katal Center
Statement from Melanie Dominguez, organizing director for the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: “This is horrific news. We send our deepest condolences to the woman’s family and loved ones.
Rikers is dangerous and deadly. The conditions of NYC’s jails are life-threatening for the people incarcerated there, for their families, and for those who work there. Our members and their loved ones know first-hand the horrors of Rikers and demand that the city take action now to save lives.
Since Mayor Adams took office, conditions have worsened, and he’s abandoned the plan to close Rikers. The crisis is hitting a tipping point this month with four deaths on Rikers. Instead of working to save lives, Adams is hellbent on sending more Black, brown, and low-income New Yorkers to Rikers, and now the jail population is over 7000 for the first time since 2019. This is unacceptable.
The City Council can no longer capitulate to this callous mayor; people are dying now and they must do more. The Lippman Commission, which released a new report yesterday, must truly exercise its independence by calling out Mayor Adams for being the most significant obstacle to closing Rikers. And lawmakers in Albany must take swift action by passing legislation to expand and strengthen the State Commission of Correction (S. 856)-Salazar / (A.2315)-Gallagher. We demand action from all levels of government. No more deaths. We will keep fighting until this jail is shut down.”
Background: #ShutRikers is a campaign of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice. Katal members, supporters, and our allies are working to cut the correctional populations and the budgets used for caging people; shut down Rikers Island; and invest in real public safety: housing, health care, education, and jobs.
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