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Death of Prisoner at Rikers Island Raises Concerns About Safety and Oversight

A man arrested at the jail municipality of Rikers Island in New York, considered among the America’s Most Dangerous and plunged into a permanent controversy, died this Tuesday raising to eight the number of prisoners who have died this year in the custody of the city’s Department of Correction.

The nonprofit lawyer group Legal Aid reported that Donny Ubiera, whom they represented, died today at the George R. Vierno Centerwhich is part of the Rikers Island complex, while requesting a “thorough investigation” by the Department of Correction (DOC).

“Ubiera’s family deserves immediate responses from the DOC and the medical staff of the jail about the circumstances that led to his death. Too often, our clients’ loved ones are seen deprived of even the most basic information following the death of a family member,” Legal Aid said in a statement.

Likewise, he indicated that there must be a “meticulous” scrutiny in the unit where Ubiera died to determine if the personnel carried out a supervision and tour of the area as required.

“The federal monitor has found that chronic failure by staff and supervisors to perform basic custodial duties has been a factor in many of the recent deaths. We await an immediate response from the DOC about this tragic death,” the NGO reiterated.

With the death of Ubiera they rise to 27 total prisoners who have died at Rikers since 2022, that is, since Mayor Eric Adams came to local government. The violence in this prison and the deaths of inmates led the federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan to request that it pass into federal hands.

The Rikers compound has been under surveillance by an outside monitor for nearly a decade, who provides regular reports to the court.

Under the past administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, the City Council approved the closure of the complex by 2027, but there are many voices that demand that this closure be brought forward as far as possible.

2023-08-22 19:02:00
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