Rikers Island has been an infamous institution in New York City for decades now. It has been the subject of public scrutiny, rap lyrics, social justice movements, and most notably, the prison where Korey Wise, one of the Exonerated Five, was sent to at just 16 years old. The conditions are deplorable, the inmates are violent, and the correctional officers who run the facility aren’t much better than the prisoners they are paid to police.
According to Amsterdam News, a 32-year-old Black man named Aramis Furse has become the 14th person to die while in the custody of the New York Department of Corrections. Furse was reportedly found in his cell feeling “unwell” and was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Queens Hospital after being transported by prison paramedics.
“The Department is mourning the tragic death of an individual in our custody,” said DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family. The safety of everyone in our care is always our foremost concern, and we will fully investigate this tragedy.”
Yeah, they have a lot of explaining to do.
Bad things happen in prisons but there is no reason for fourteen people to lose their lives while in the custody of the state. It makes Rikers’ stewarts look incompetent at best, negligent at worst, perhaps even criminal depending on what the investigation finds. Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services will certainly see to it that the truth comes to the light.
“Furse’s family, loved ones, and counsel deserve immediate access to all information surrounding his death,” the public defenders wrote. “Full transparency and accountability are essential, particularly given DOC’s repeated failure to keep families and attorneys informed or provide the answers they urgently need.”
The Amsterdam reporting states that just last month, the Board of Corrections noted several facility infractions including unsecured cell doors, drug paraphernalia, and a staff failing to notify medical personnel after a person was reported ill.
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