The Fortune Society’s Statement on the Recent Deaths at Rikers Island in 2024

Two people have lost their lives on Rikers Island in the past two and a half weeks: 30-year old Manuel Luna, on Friday, and 43-year old Chima Williams, on January 4^th .  While public reporting by the Department of Correction (DOC) is a welcome shift, The Fortune Society calls on DOC to fully investigate and make public the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Mr. Luna and Mr. Williams.    

Fortune calls upon our elected officials to leverage every resource at the City’s disposal to Close Rikers Island and end the harm, trauma, and deplorable facility conditions that currently exist. In this first month of the new year, Rikers continues to be a stain on the moral conscience of our city, and conditions continue to deteriorate, making the jail unsafe – and deadly – for people in custody and unsafe for those who work there.