Elected officials inspected the conditions at Rikers Island on Sept. 13 following yet another death in the jail — and they said what they found shook them to the core.
The visit came days after Esias Johnson, a 24-year-old awaiting trial, became the 10th individual to perish within the controversial penal facility this year when he was discovered unresponsive on Sept. 7. A coalition of politicians toured the prison on Monday in hopes of pinpointing the issue at hand.
Gathering at the intersection of 19th Avenue and Hazen Street after their visit, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, state Senator Jessica Ramos, Senator Alessandra Biaggi, and many more stood in shock and disgust after visiting the complex. They professed ] seeing urine and fecal matter strewn over the floor; individuals coughing up blood and even an attempted suicide.
Some of the speakers said Rikers Island had become a humanitarian crisis.
“I can’t begin to tell you the deplorable conditions that we saw inside OBCC. In one of the intake rooms there are at least one dozen men per cell. The conditions are so extreme that Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas and I witnessed somebody attempting to commit suicide just a little while ago. These men are desperate for simple medical attention as just measuring their sugar. They need their fingers pricked to figure out whether their diabetes is under control or not, never mind they are not obviously receiving any insulin. Those that need to access the methadone clinic have not been able to do so,” Ramos said, describing the unsanitary conditions.
“It’s all because the incarcerated men and women who are on that island are being treated unfairly, and the correction officers are working under very deplorable conditions themselves,” Ramos added, stating that everyone on Rikers Island should be kept safe.
In response to these claims regarding the conditions within Rikers Island, DOC Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi has launched #NewDayDOC to target initiatives that will help increase staffing and safety through scheduling changes, new recruitment, and establishing a new process for calling out sick with Mt. Sinai so that they may return to active duty quickly, as well as other changes.
Yeah, a hashtag will stop the violence and abhorrent environment that was exacerbated by the city's decision to shut down Rikers to build borough jails and the closing of other facilities on the island. Feckless moron.
17 comments:
Prison is a business first. Then it's a retribution center. Then it's a social safety net. And maybe somewhere in there it's a correctional institution.
It defintely is a retribution center.
Integrity has left all our institutions ! Prove Me Wrong ...
Maybe New Yorkers have had their priorities backward for too many generations.
All those politicians should be locked up in a cell on Rikers or a cell upstate. It's criminal what they are doing to this state.
Stop electing these Hypocritical socialist politicians year after year and things might change for the better.
Were they wearing masks ?
Maybe they can fix Rikers after they fix NYCHA, which also has deplorable living conditions for many tenants - and they are paying rent to be housed like that.
Why aren't these "electeds" themselves residing there? They are a most deserving bunch.
These politicians should try visiting and living in the Homeless shelters in residential areas they force down out throats where the criminals, sex predators, violent thugs live, and try living in them for a while too.
I surprised they haven't done that already since these hypocritical, socialist politicians love fighting for the rights of those who commit crimes against law-abiding taxpayers and citizens of NYC.
"Cant get their methadone, killing each other"
Yea right bring them home they will make great houseguests & tenants.
If they are in jail they must have priors for very violent crime did something even worse to be denied ROR, ankle monitor release or parole.
Put in deBlasio's, Maxine Waters house or governors mansion with Bidons government bunk beds.
Isn't Jumanne Williams the mutt who lives at the Ft. Hamilton U.S. Army base? Behind gates guarded by U.S. Army Military Police?
It's easy to sic the criminal mofo's at Rikers on the public when you live in the ultimate gated community.
PHONY BASTARD...
Californian's have decided that they like Demofascism, and are keeping their Commie governor. Sounds a lot like New York's love with the democrat party.
@"Keeping their Commie governor"
We New Yorkers live in a banana republic now !
I thought everyone knew that America was run by lobbyists, money men and corporations.
No one is in Rikers for holding a joint or jumping a turnstile. Contrary to what the sheltered Kennedy’s believe, there are no Boy Scouts locked up on Rikers. They are violent predators, perpetrators and bullies. And our fearless leaders want to move them next door to us
"Anonymous said...
Integrity has left all our institutions ! Prove Me Wrong ..."
You've been wrong about everything else in the past, why should this be any different.
No more proof needed.
Some of these progressive pols like that prison BBC
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