The family of Bradley Ballard, the man killed by an inmate at Rikers Island, has filed a lawsuit against the government of New York. Their claim is that the inmate was deprived of basic medical care and was subjected to solitary confinement. They are also seeking compensation for Ballard’s death.
Bradley Ballard’s death
The city of New York has agreed to settle a lawsuit over the death of an inmate at Rikers Island, with a settlement that is expected to be the largest ever paid by the city for a death in custody. The suit was filed in Federal District Court on Tuesday by Beverly Ann Griffin, the mother of Bradley Ballard, who died there in September 2013.
According to the suit, Ballard died after a week of being locked up in a cell without proper medical care. He was a 39-year-old schizophrenic paranoid who suffered from diabetes.
According to the family, Ballard’s condition was due to long-standing system failures at the jail. A medical examiner determined the main cause of his death to be diabetic ketoacidosis, which happens when a person does not have enough insulin to properly control his blood sugar.
Sexual abuse by corrections officers
Rikers Island is the epicenter of a new wave of sexual abuse allegations against corrections officers. In the past five years, nearly two dozen jail workers have been charged with rapes at the facility.
The Department of Correction, the city’s official regulator of corrections, has acknowledged that systemic abuse has increased. It also said it applied for a $1.2 million grant from the Justice Department to assess the situation. But the department has yet to disclose statistics on grievances.
A woman, referred to as Jane Doe, accused New York’s DOC of deliberative indifference when it came to sexual abuse. She said McNeill told her to delay reporting the rape until after the department conducted a criminal investigation.
But the city never took action against McNeill. Instead, the former officer was fired.
Solitary confinement
One of the most contentious political debates in New York City is the question of solitary confinement at Rikers Island. For decades, the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA) has fought to keep the practice of solitary confinement in place. Now, the powerful COBA is expected to be a major roadblock to the proposed ban on solitary confinement.
Earlier this week, the NY Times reported that at least ten people have died in solitary confinement at Rikers Island this year. Some of the deaths were labeled suicide.
In recent years, the city has been trying to limit the use of solitary confinement at the jail. But the actual implementation has taken a long time.
As part of the broader solitary confinement reform efforts, a coalition of local advocacy groups formed the Jails Action Coalition. Among the organizations’ leaders are Amy Fettig, Deputy Director of the ACLU’s National Prison Project; Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of NRCAT; and Mary Buser, former Assistant Mental Health Chief of Rikers Island.
Lack of basic medical care
The Department of Correction (DOC) is not meeting its obligations to provide basic medical care to New York City jail inmates. A Bronx Supreme Court Justice has ordered the DOC to fix the problem.
According to data obtained by the New York Focus, thousands of incarcerated people miss medical appointments every month. In February, more than 8,000 inmates missed medical appointments on Rikers Island.
Health experts and advocates say the lack of adequate staffing at the facility leads to long wait times and insufficient care. They also say inmates refuse to visit the clinic. And even when they do, corrections officers often do not accompany them. This makes getting to appointments even more difficult.
“Our data show that the DOC is not taking the steps it needs to ensure that people get proper medical treatment.” says Victoria Phillips, an organizer with the Urban Justice Center’s Mental Health Project.
Compensation for detainees
If you were incarcerated on Rikers Island you may be entitled to compensation. A new class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of former detainees claiming that the conditions there were inhumane.
The case claims that the Department of Correction (DOC) violated the Eighth Amendment. This amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. It also entitles inmates to receive proper medical care.
Michael LoGiudice, LLP is a firm that works to ensure the rights of incarcerated individuals. They can assist you in determining whether or not you qualify for this type of compensation.
Former detainees were held in violent conditions at Rikers. Tens of thousands of people were held at the jail and other city facilities for days after bail was posted. These conditions were inhumane and violated the plaintiffs’ right to due process.
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