Board of Correction report prompts activists to rally and call for closure of Rikers Island
NEW YORK -- There are renewed calls to shut down Rikers Island, following a troubling new report on inmate deaths.
The Board of Correction investigated the deaths of 10 inmates last year, that were either drug-related or suicides.
Among the findings, the report highlighted a "pervasive issue" of correction officers not making the rounds to check on inmates, especially at night.
It says insufficient staffing remains a persistent problem. It also points out uniformed staff failed to provide timely first aid in at least five of the deaths.
READ MORE: 3 Department of Correction staff members suspended after 13th Rikers Island inmate death
On Tuesday, activists and former inmates rallied outside the jail. They said efforts to reform Rikers have failed.
"Over 25 years ago, I was on Rikers Island, and it's the same conditions as it was 25 years ago. So what does that say? We need to shut it down," one activist said.
The Board of Correction issued more than two dozen recommendations to fix a wide range of issues. You can read the full report here.