Yet Another Inmate Found Dead At Rikers Island
On Sunday morning, another inmate was discovered dead in his cell at Rikers Island, bringing the total number of inmate deaths at the problematic New York City facility to seven this year. The jail is already facing disciplinary action based on the previous deaths that have already happened in 2023, so this will certainly not be welcomed.
The deceased individual was identified as Curtis Davis, aged 44, who had been held in custody on $30,000 bond since his arrest on June 1 in Brooklyn on charges of assault and weapons possession, according to law enforcement sources and public records.
Efforts to revive Davis were unsuccessful after he was found unresponsive at the George R. Vierno Center facility on Rikers Island. The cause of his death remains unclear.
This is at least the seventh inmate death at Rikers Island in 2023. Last year, the Department of Correction reported a total of 19 deaths of individuals in custody.
In response to criticism and scrutiny, the Department of Correction has changed its policy and will no longer inform the public about prisoner deaths. This change came to light when a federal monitor accused the department of failing to disclose five in-custody incidents, which included deaths and injuries, to its oversight team.
Mayor Eric Adams opposed a threatened federal takeover of the city’s jail system, claiming that substantial progress was being made to reform Rikers Island. However, Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, disagreed and expressed his intention to push for federal intervention due to the ongoing hellish conditions that continue to impact both inmates and staff.
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio had previously made an agreement with the City Council to close the East River complex and replace it with larger jails in every borough except Staten Island by 2027.
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