Rikers Island should close, say 4 House Democrats from NY

NEW YORK – Four members of Congress from New York demanded the merchandise of inmates and closure of New York City's troubled Rikers Island jailhouse analyzable aft different inmate was reported dormant astatine the facility.

Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jerry Nadler, Jamaal Bowman and Nydia Velázquez called conditions astatine the jailhouse “deplorable and thing abbreviated of a humanitarian crisis," successful a missive Tuesday to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The request followed the 11th decease reported astatine Rikers Island this year. The city's Department of Correction said an inmate died Sunday astatine the jailhouse aft reporting helium did not consciousness good and was taken to the infirmary.

His decease came connected the heels of some Hochul and de Blasio announcing plans to effort to amended conditions astatine Rikers Island, wherever longstanding troubles were exacerbated amid the pandemic.

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Hochul's property secretary, Hazel Crampton-Hays, said the politician “took swift enactment to merchandise hundreds of radical incarcerated successful Rikers and amended justness and safety,” and promised further steps.

A connection seeking remark was besides near with the mayor's office.

In their letter, the House members said the jailhouse has failed to supply inmates with basal services and extortion against the dispersed of COVID-19, and lawmakers connected a caller sojourn to the installation recovered conditions that were “life-threatening and horrific.”

They reported overflowing toilets and floors covered successful dormant cockroaches, feces and rotting food. State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas said inmates told her they felt similar they were being treated similar slaves and animals.

It was not instantly wide from the missive whether the 4 House members were calling for each inmates, including those being held for convulsive crimes, to beryllium instantly released oregon for immoderate to beryllium transferred to different facilities.

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Ocasio-Cortez's bureau said the congresswoman believed that inmates should beryllium released. Messages seeking further accusation from the offices of the different House members were not instantly returned.

Of the 11 inmates who person died astatine Rikers Island this year, astatine slightest 5 died successful suspected suicides. Officials person said deteriorating conditions astatine the jailhouse came amid a slowdown successful tribunal proceedings, leaving much inmates incarcerated portion awaiting trial, and chronic unit shortages.

At 1 constituent this summer, much than one-third of the city’s jailhouse guards were connected sick permission oregon medically unfit to enactment with inmates. Some guards missed shifts without immoderate explanation.

De Blasio announced measures past week that included requiring jailhouse guards to get a doctor's enactment if they miss enactment for much than 1 time oregon look suspension without pay. Hochul connected Friday signed authorities that mostly eliminated the signifier of incarcerating radical for method parole violations. The Democratic politician besides said she was asking the authorities parole committee to instantly merchandise 191 radical and determination 200 sentenced inmates to authorities facilities.

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The Department of Correction said it “is tirelessly moving to proceed improving conditions connected Rikers, including releasing eligible radical nether the Less is More Act, expanding accountability for absent staffers, expediting intake to make much space, and utilizing exigency contracting to unafraid speedy repairs and heavy cleaning.”

Michael Skelly, a spokesperson for the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, representing the jailhouse guards, dismissed the letter.

“Closing Rikers is simply a talking constituent and not a world close now. We person 6,000 inmates. There are nary caller jails built yet," helium said. "Where are they going to go?”

He encouraged members of Congress acrophobic astir Rikers to usage their powerfulness to expedite gathering caller jails, plans for which person been met with assemblage opposition.

Skelly said those jails won’t unfastened until 2027 astatine the earliest and combined they’d person a maximum capableness of 3,300 inmates.

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De Blasio’s yearly accounting of metropolis agencies released precocious past week showed sharply higher rates of unit and accrued intelligence wellness concerns among inmates successful the city’s jails compared with erstwhile years. Serious injuries to inmates and assaults connected unit besides jumped.

According to the report, much than fractional of inmates crossed the city's jails had a intelligence wellness diagnosis and 16.5% of inmates had a superior intelligence wellness diagnosis.

Meanwhile, uniformed unit astatine the jails has plummeted, from a unit of 10,862 successful the 2017 fiscal twelvemonth to 8,388 successful 2021. The guard’s national says 7,600 of unit are correctional officers and the remainder are successful supervisory roles. About 1,200 officers person resigned since January 2019, the national said.

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Associated Press writer Michael Sisak contributed to this report.

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