THE FORTUNE SOCIETY’S STATEMENT ON RIKERS ISLAND DEATH

The Fortune Society mourns the most recent death of a fellow New Yorker detained at Rikers Island. Edgardo Mejias, 39 years old, is the 19^th person to have died this year as a result of being held in the custody of the New York City Department of Correction (DOC). His death bears two chilling and disturbing hallmarks of other deaths of people in custody: it appears to have been an overdose, and it was other men in custody who alerted DOC staff that Mr. Mejia needed medical attention.  Rikers Island continues to be a shameful stain on our great city.  We renew our support for the appointment of a federal receiver to take the kind of bold, creative action needed to address the deadly conditions in our city jails before more lives are lost.