SURVIVORS OF RIKERS & IMPACTED FAMILIES CELEBRATE CITY COUNCIL BILLS THAT WILL INCREASE TRANSPARENCY FROM DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION
Freedom Agenda members and partners in the Campaign to Close Rikers laud City Council’s passage today of an important bill establishing transparency procedures regarding injuries at Rikers. Intro 412, sponsored by Council Member Lincoln Restler, defines procedures to notify emergency contacts and attorneys when a person in custody is seriously injured, hospitalized, or attempts suicide. There are currently no laws requiring notification to emergency contacts or attorneys when a person in DOC custody is seriously injured, hospitalized, or attempts suicide, and family members often learn about these incidents from another person in custody reaching out to them.
This bill comes on the heels of a particularly deadly period in the city jails, with five people dying in DOC custody in a six-week span from mid-February through early April - contributing to a total of 38 people who have died in DOC custody or immediately after release since Eric Adams took office. Serious injuries in DOC continue to be commonplace, with mental health units under scrutiny for denying treatment for people in custody and “deadlocking” them in cells for weeks at a time, and conditions have worsened as the Adams administration has increased arrests and urged expanded use of pre-trial detention, along with hundreds of sentenced people being held there due to the crisis in the state prisons.
Council Member Lincoln Restler said, “It is a devastating reality that people in DOC custody all too often experience serious injury. As we work to close the human rights disaster that is Rikers Island once and for all, we must ensure that family members are immediately made aware when their incarcerated loved ones are seriously injured. I'm grateful to Speaker Adams for prioritizing this critical legislation, and to the Freedom Agenda for championing it every step of the way."
Khadira Savage, member of Freedom Agenda and sister of Roy Savage said, "The least they could have done was contact me to notify me that my brother’s condition had worsened. It was like once he was placed into DOC custody all communication was cut and by the time anyone saw my brother again, he was unable to speak, eat or move to explain what had happened. I’m grateful to the City Council for passing Intro 412 to grant families the right to be present for their loved ones.”
“If it weren’t for the diligence and care of a doctor, I would never have known about my brother’s condition,” said Cynthia Acevedo, member of Freedom Agenda and sister of Gregory Acevedo. “If there had been a protocol to notify family members about serious injuries, like Intro 412 requires, perhaps I could have made it to the hospital to see him before he was put on life support. I thank the City Council for passing this important bill.”
"To have a loved one in DOC custody is a terrifying experience for families. As if it's not bad enough that they are shipped off to an island penal colony and mistreated there, we can't even get accurate information about their well-being," said Melissa Vergara, member of Freedom Agenda. "During more than two hellish years on Rikers, my son has suffered multiple serious injuries. I was never notified. I would spend days not hearing from him, fearing the worst. Intro 412 is an important step. I thank Council Member Restler for introducing it, and every Council Member who supported it."
“In New York City’s dysfunctional jails, far too many people are seriously injured, attempt suicide, or require hospitalization. Notifying their family members when these devastating events occur is basic human decency, and should be routine practice. Unfortunately it is not. We thank the City Council for passing this legislation to require that the human dignity of people in custody and their families be respected in these situations.” said Jennifer J. Parish, Director of Criminal Justice Advocacy, Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project.
“Today, we express our gratitude to the City Council for bringing this long-awaited bill to a vote. Access to medical care, programming, and other human rights is crucial, and we firmly believe that families should never be denied or have information delayed. Equity must always be upheld on domestic soil. With nearly two decades of experience working within jails and prisons, I have witnessed the harsh realities of our correctional systems. It is our responsibility to strive for improvement and to create a more just New York. Even those detained deserve connection, prompt response, adequate treatment, proper burials, and periods of mourning,” stated Chaplain Dr. Victoria A. Phillips, co-founder of the Jails Action Coalition.
"As someone who has been incarcerated, I know how dangerous jails can be and how frightening it is for families when critical information is kept from them. Loved ones deserve to know when someone on the inside is seriously hurt. This is a commonsense bill that has our full support,” said Jonathan McLean, CEO, CASES.
“As someone who was held at Rikers as a youth and again at 19, I know firsthand the violence and isolation people face inside those walls. There were moments I saw people harmed and no one—not their families, not their lawyers—was ever told. Intro 412 is long overdue. People in custody are not disposable. This bill is a step toward real transparency, dignity, and accountability. It shouldn’t take another death for families to know the truth. America On Trial Inc. supports every measure that centers humanity and pushes back against the secrecy that has allowed Rikers to operate in the shadows for too long,” said Vidal Guzman, Executive Director of America On Trial Inc.
“Our City’s charter makes clear that government must justly value all people and ensure their ability to thrive. Intro 412 is a critical and long overdue step toward ensuring dignity and safety for every New Yorker in custody,” said Linda Tigani, Chair and Executive Director of the Commission on Racial Equity (CORE). “Too many lives, particularly Black and Brown lives, have been harmed or lost due to misaligned and inhumane treatment and in many instances the lack of treatment. Loved ones have been left to suffer without knowing what is happening to their person in custody. This is unacceptable. Today’s legislation speaks directly to what thousands of New Yorkers have shared with CORE: that our city must be accountable, affirm people’s identities, and prevent further harm. Passing Intro 412 is not just a legal responsibility—it is a moral imperative.”
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