10 Deaths, Exhausted Guards, Rampant Violence: Why Rikers Is in Crisis
The New York Times
A number of recent deaths have prompted questions about the notorious New York City jail complex. Here are some answers.
New York City’s notorious Rikers Island jail complex has long had a reputation for brutal conditions, but in recent months the situation inside has spun out of control.
Ten people incarcerated at Rikers have died this year, at least four by suicide — the largest death toll at the jail in years. Gangs and other detainees are ushering other incarcerated people to and from their dorms. Relatives of those imprisoned there fear for their loved ones’ lives.
“My kid gets to go to court,” said Penny Wilkinson, the mother of Nicholas Caballero, 25, who is being held on the island as he awaits trial on assault and grand larceny charges. “I don’t want to see my child die in jail.”
