FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 24, 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 in a Week
Under Mayor Eric Adams, at least 35 People Have Died in NYC Jails
New York, NY: This evening, news broke that yet another person died while in custody of the New York City Department of Correction (DOC). This is the second death this week and at least the 35th person to have died since Eric Adams became mayor in 2022.
Statement from Yonah Zeitz, advocacy director for the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice: “This is awful news. We send our deepest condolences to the person’s family and loved ones.
These jails are horrific for the people incarcerated there, for their families, and for those who work there, which is why the city passed a law in 2019 to close Rikers. But Mayor Adams doesn’t seem to care much about following the law or trying to defend New Yorkers. Instead of working to shut down Rikers, he’s worked to keep it open, and the crisis at Rikers has gotten much, much worse.
Like thousands of other New Yorkers, our members have experienced firsthand the horrors of Rikers. No more deaths. No more chaos. We demand the city cut the jail population, shut down this hellhole jail, and invest in real community safety like housing, health care, education, and jobs.”
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