Survivors of sex abuse in New York jails say no action has been taken to make prisons safer
NEW YORK — Nearly 200 survivors of sex abuse in New York jails rallied in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, saying there's been no action from the state or city to make jails safer.
The Adult Survivors Act signed in 2022 gave survivors one year to sue their abusers and eliminated the statute of limitations.
Thousands of cases filed after Adult Survivors Act goes into effect
Survivor lawyers say more than 2,200 cases were filed – roughly 30% are from Rikers, and the rest at New York state prisons.
"We have a state that I believe hasn't even thoroughly acknowledged that this is happening," Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.
The survivors criticized the governor, saying she has not acknowledged their pain or taken any action.
The governor's office referred CBS News New York to the state Department of Corrections, who said in part it has "zero tolerance for sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and unauthorized relationships," and in 2022, it "implemented updated policies," including deploying body-worn cameras.
It added the department does not comment on pending litigation.
As for Rikers, the New York City Department of Correction said it takes claims of sexual misconduct seriously, and such behavior will not be tolerated. The department cannot comment further due to pending litigation.
"It continues to this day"
Tasha Carter Beasley said she entered Rikers Island on a robbery charge in the '90s. She said she's one of around two dozen women raped by the same correction officer known as "Champagne."
"When I was raped, I didn't have a microphone in front of me. I didn't have ears to listen to me," she said. "I never thought that I'd be standing here."
"We are victims no more," civil rights attorney Ben Crump said.
"It existed for a long time before I arrived in the system, and it continues to this day," survivor Jennifer Fiku said.
