A sign marks the location of the Rikers Island Correctional Center on March 9, 2021.<\/p>\n
Photo by Gary Hershorn\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Another individual incarcerated on Rikers Island has died, the Correction Department (DOC) announced early Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
The unidentified inmate was found at an unspecified facility on the island during the early hours of Feb. 19, according to a terse statement from the DOC.<\/p>\n
The agency indicated the person was pronounced dead at the scene; no preliminary details about the cause of death were provided. The individual\u2019s identity has been withheld pending family notification. amNewYork Metro reached out to the DOC for further information about the fatality and is awaiting a response.<\/p>\n
Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said in a statement that her department is \u201cconducting a full investigation into this tragic event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, the DOC said it has notified the federal monitor overseeing Rikers Island, the Board of Correction, the state Attorney General\u2019s Office, the state Commission of Correction, and the city Department of Investigation about the fatality \u2013 which is now part of the standard procedure for in-custody deaths.<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s inmate death marked the 34th of its kind during the Adams administration, according to the Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice. More than 100 people have died while in custody on Rikers since 2014, which was the start of the de Blasio Administration\u2019s first of two terms.<\/p>\n
A city law passed in 2019 mandates the closure of Rikers Island by 2027, though it is unclear whether that mandate will be reached. The city has yet to complete the four community-based jails across the city that would replace Rikers, with those plans receiving boisterous community opposition.<\/p>\n
Federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain previously held the city in contempt for ongoing violence and dilapidated conditions on Rikers Island, and for violating the consent decree in the 2025 Nunez vs. City of New York case for improving conditions. She is now considering putting Rikers into federal receivership, which would allow the Justice Department to directly oversee the facility\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n
However, before that decision is reached, federal agents are returning to the island in a different capacity. Last week, Mayor Eric Adams announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would reopen its facility on Rikers Island, which the city had shuttered a decade ago. The office, according to Adams, will enable ICE to root out undocumented \u201ccriminals\u201d and members of \u201cviolent gangs\u201d currently incarcerated on Rikers.<\/p>\n
In light of Wednesday\u2019s inmate death and other developments surrounding the mayor over the past week, criminal justice advocates with the Katal Center condemned Adams over Wednesday\u2019s death. They called for his resignation or removal from office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shameless moves by Mayor Adams over the last week illuminate what we\u2019ve known for years\u2013 he does not give a crap about Black, brown, immigrant, and low-income New Yorkers,\u201d said Melanie Dominguez, organizing director for the Katal Center. \u201cInstead of working to save lives and close Rikers, Adams has abandoned the plan to shut Rikers and wants to let ICE target and further criminalize immigrants. Gov. [Kathy] Hochul must remove Adams from office now.<\/p>\n
The recent developments surrounding Rikers Island are a stark reminder of the urgent need for reform and accountability. The city must prioritize the safety and well-being of its inmates, and work towards closing Rikers Island once and for all.<\/p>\n
* What is the current situation on Rikers Island?
\nRikers Island is a correctional facility in New York City that has been plagued by violence, dilapidated conditions, and high rates of in-custody deaths.
\n* What is the plan to close Rikers Island?
\nA city law passed in 2019 mandates the closure of Rikers Island by 2027, but the city has yet to complete the four community-based jails across the city that would replace Rikers.
\n* What is the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Rikers Island?
\nICE is reopening its facility on Rikers Island to target undocumented \u201ccriminals\u201d and members of \u201cviolent gangs\u201d currently incarcerated on Rikers.
\n* What are the calls for action?
\nCriminal justice advocates are calling for the removal of Mayor Eric Adams and for the city to prioritize the safety and well-being of its inmates. They are also advocating for the closure of Rikers Island and the implementation of community-based jails.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rikers Island Sees Another Inmate Die in Custody Amid Calls for Federal Takeover \u2013 and Return of ICE 34th Death on Rikers Island since 2014 A sign marks the location of the Rikers Island Correctional Center on March 9, 2021. Photo by Gary Hershorn\/Getty Images Another individual incarcerated on Rikers Island has died, the Correction […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12228","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime-reports"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-1306589139.jpg?w=1200&p=q&w=1200&resize=1200,820&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12228"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12228"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12230,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12228\/revisions\/12230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}