Manuel Luna is the second individual in NYC Division of Correction (DOC) custody to die on Rikers Island within the new 12 months. The 30-year-old was discovered unresponsive in his cell round 8:47 p.m. final Friday, Jan. 19 whereas held within the George R. Vierno Heart jail. He entered DOC custody in October 2023.
“On behalf of the New York Metropolis Division of Correction, we prolong our deepest condolences to the family members of the deceased,” stated DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie in an announcement. “We’re conducting a full investigation into this tragic occasion.”
Luna’s passing additionally marks the thirtieth recognized dying in DOC custody because the Adams administration entered workplace. Earlier this month, Black New Yorker Chima Williams died on Rikers Island after collapsing whereas taking part in basketball. The 2 deaths this 12 months are the primary beneath Maginley-Liddie, who was appointed final month after former commissioner Louis Molina was named assistant deputy mayor for public security.
“[Rikers Island] continues to kill our neighbors and go away extra households devastated,” stated Darren Mack, co-director of Freedom Agenda. “As a substitute of constant to ship individuals there, the Mayor must make the investments that can preserve individuals protected: housing, psychological well being remedy, and different companies to help individuals in our communities.”
Freedom Agenda, together with different advocates from the Marketing campaign to Shut Rikers motion organized a rally urging Mayor Eric Adams to prioritize “care not criminalization” outdoors of the State of the Metropolis handle on Wednesday. Particularly, they spoke in opposition to his vetoes of prison justice reform payments, together with laws banning solitary confinement in New York Metropolis jails. Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public security for the Amsterdam Information. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps preserve him writing tales like this one; please take into account making a tax-deductible reward of any quantity at this time by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
