Seventh person held on Rikers dies this year

Donny Ubiera is the seventh individual held on Rikers Island to die this 12 months and the eighth to die in or instantly after NYC Division of Corrections (DOC) custody. The 33-year-old was discovered unresponsive in his cell on the George R. Vierno Middle (GRVC) jail this previous Tuesday, Aug. 22. He entered DOC custody this previous March and his loss of life is at present below investigation as of press time, based on a division spokesperson.

The Authorized Support Society mentioned Ubiera was a consumer of the observe and known as for a “sweeping investigation” that may be absolutely clear for the deceased’s subsequent of kin.

“Shut scrutiny must be paid as to if correctional employees and supervisors had been actively engaged in supervising the housing space and conducting required excursions,” wrote a Authorized Support spokesperson. “The federal monitor has discovered that employees and supervisors’ continual failure to carry out primary custodial duties has been a think about most of the latest deaths. We await a right away response from DOC on this tragic passing.”

Authorized Support additionally represented the plaintiffs who sued the town over jail circumstances within the Nunez litigation, which in the end led to ongoing reforms at Rikers. Earlier this month, the federal decide presiding over the case opened the door for a third-party receiver to take over Rikers and implement the enhancements legally mandated within the consent decree. Such a transfer would take management of the advanced out of the town’s fingers quickly.

A Marketing campaign to Shut Rikers organizer—Freedom Agenda’s Ashley Conrad—recalled realizing Ubiera once they had been kids dwelling in Queens.

“Rising up collectively in Jackson Heights, I noticed Donny affected by psychological well being points and being thrown out and in of jail most of his life,” mentioned Conrad. “He deserved assist and love. He deserved to develop outdated surrounded by individuals who cared about him, not on Rikers Island, a trash dump within the yard of this metropolis that failed him. This place is devastating households and taking individuals from everybody’s hood – my hood, your hood, it doesn’t care.”

Ubiera’s case was extremely publicized final 12 months by bail reform opponents after he was launched from custody shortly earlier than he was arrested for 2 separate, alleged knife assaults.

Final month, three individuals died in Rikers, together with two Black New Yorkers additionally held on the GRVC. One other Black New Yorker—Ricky Howell—additionally died in DOC custody in July however at a Manhattan hospital facility on account of terminal most cancers.

Rikers Island is legally scheduled to shut by the tip of August 2027, simply roughly 4 years from now.

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and 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 present of any quantity immediately by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.