Sylvan did not speculate as to the specific circumstances surrounding Carter’s death. The rate of self-injury among detainees doubled during the first summer of the pandemic, and hit a five-hear high in 2021, The City reported. "The situation at Rikers exacerbates it, as does, naturally, Covid and everything associated with that.” “This, of course, is a population that gets less attention than others in general in the first place,” Sylvan said.
Sylvan said the 25-year-old had been homeless and given few opportunities while detained to speak with family. The city’s Department of Correction reached out to him on Monday, two days after Carter was found slumped over near his bed.
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Advocates and government officials agree the situation is dire, but they clash on how to turn it around as pressure mounts to implement serious reforms before the facility is scheduled to be shut down in 2027.įacing robbery and burglary charges, Carter had been set to appear in court on May 18. He had yet to meet with his attorney, Sylvan, who first learned about Carter's death from the media. Correction officers are assaulted by the thousands.
“And tragically, like so many others, he doesn’t get heard the right way, the right time, or under the right circumstances.”Ĭarter is one of four people who died in custody this year alone at Rikers Island where filthy conditions, crumbling facilities and understaffing give way to rampant violence, injuries and illnesses. “He had mental health issues, and that all by itself means there’s a human who’s crying for help and needs to be heard,” said Kevin Sylvan, the lawyer appointed by the court to represent Carter. (CN) - Detainees at New York City’s most notorious jail complex live in conditions that, well before they stand trial, can result in a death sentence.ĭaShawn Carter died by suicide last weekend, just two days after he was transferred to Rikers from a mental health facility.