When Melania Brown, 33, heard that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had publicly vowed in June 2020 to end solitary confinement, Brown hoped she might finally make good on a promise she, herself, had made to her deceased sister. Brown’s younger sister, Layleen Polanco, 27, a transgender woman, died a preventable death […]
On Jul. 25, three survivors of solitary confinement, along with members of the Coalition for Women Prisoners, other survivors, family members and allies will hold demonstrations across New York State to demand an end to what survivors call the racist and deadly torture of solitary confinement. Kevin Mays, campaigner for #HALTsolitary, Leonard Thomas of […]
The Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement are asking the public to join them today at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 21, for a virtual rally and socially distant actions to demand the legislature pass #HALTsolitary, Elder Parole, and Fair and Timely Parole. People can register for the Zoom here, read this pdf flyer and this png flyer, and […]
We are in the midst of the gravest humanitarian, economic, and social crisis in at least a generation, and one that is disproportionately harming Black and Brown people, poor people, and other marginalized people and communities. Over 27,600 New Yorkers have died from COVID-19 already and many more are projected to die. Hundreds of […]
Community members, elected officials, and advocates held a rally in front of the federal courthouse building in Foley Square in Manhattan on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to demand action and decry the current state of jails across the city, including on Rikers Island.
The first person to die in custody in New York City in 2024 was announced on Jan. 4. Latima Johnson, press officer with NYC Department of Correction (DOC) identified the person as Chima Williams, age 43. Johnson said Williams’ next of kin had been notified.
New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang released a report on Nov. 30, detailing defects in both the manufacturing and administration of drug tests used by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to detect the presence of contraband in correctional facilities. According to the NYS Offices of the Inspector General, the flaws in these drugs tests, based upon unreliable evidence, resulted in the disciplining of more than 2,000 incarcerated individuals across the State. These disciplinary sanctions included solitary confinement, delays in parole eligibility, and suspension of family visitation, among others.
Campaigners to close Rikers Island shared their reaction to news of the latest announced death at the jail. NYC Department of Correction officials said Curtis Davis, age 44, a detainee at Rikers Island jail, was found unresponsive in his cell in the George R. Vierno Center (GRVC) at approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 23, as reported on Sunday by the NY Daily News.
NYC Department of Corrections (DOC) announced the appointment on Thursday, April 20, of Dr. Anita Gupta as the new chief surgeon of its health management division (HMD). They said Gupta has extensive experience, has held several professional government appointments, and is actively board licensed and certified as an anesthesiologist. In her new role, DOC […]
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