FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Contact: Yonah Zeitz: yonah@katalcenter.org • 347-201-2769
Follow on socials @KatalCenter • #ShutRikers #CutShutInvestNY
Another Death at Rikers, the 5th Death in the Last Six Weeks
As Deaths Mount in NYC Jails and State Prison Descend Further into Crisis and Disarray, New York’s Correctional Facilities Hit a Tipping Point
New York, NY: This morning, news broke that another person died at Rikers Island. This is the 5th incarcerated person to die in city jails in the last six weeks and at least the 38th person to have died since Eric Adams became mayor in 2022. Four months into the year and the death toll at Rikers is already close to surpassing last year’s total. This is horrible.
Under Mayor Adams, conditions at Rikers have continued to worsen and violence is out of control. A report issued last week by the Lippmann Commission confirmed what community groups have been saying for years, that this city is not going to follow the law and close Rikers by 2027. The Commission failed to name Adams as the primary reason the closure plan is off track, nor did the Commission offer any recommendations as to what the City Council must do to hold the mayor accountable to the law – raising stark questions about the Commission’s independence.
Meanwhile, the federal court is on the verge of taking over the jail complex due to the deadly conditions incarcerated people face. And lawmakers in Albany are currently considering legislation to increase and strengthen jail and prison oversight across the state — including at Rikers Island.
Statements from Katal Center
Statement from Melanie Dominguez, organizing director for the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: “This is horrific news, yet it’s not surprising given the worsening crisis and soaring death toll this month at Rikers. We send our deepest condolences to the person’s family and loved ones.
Rikers is dangerous and deadly. Under Mayor Adams, conditions have deteriorated, and nearly 40 people have died in city jails. Instead of working to save lives and address the crisis, Adams has abandoned the plan to close Rikers and has instead pursued a jails-first approach which has driven up the jail population to more than 7000.
Mayor Adams is failing our communities and lives are being lost as a result. The City Council’s lackluster effort to hold Adams accountable is further fanning the flames of chaos. If the federal judge needed any more reason why receivership is necessary, these recent, tragic deaths must be reason enough. And State lawmakers in Albany must not wait for the city leaders to meaningfully address the tragedy unfolding in NYC jails. Albany must take swift action by passing legislation to expand and strengthen the State Commission of Correction (S. 856)-Salazar / (A.2315)-Gallagher. There’s no time to waste. People detained in city jails must not be subject to deadly conditions. 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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