On Friday, two inmates, Benjamin Kelly and James Maldonado, tragically died within 90 minutes of each other at Rikers Island, bringing the facility's death toll to seven in 2024 alone. Kelly suffered medical distress shortly after 3 p.m. and was pronounced dead by 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Maldonado experienced an emergency while being transported and was pronounced dead after being taken to the Taylor Center. The Department of Corrections expressed deep condolences and promised a thorough investigation, while advocacy groups criticized the circumstances surrounding these deaths, particularly noting Maldonado as a former client of the Legal Aid Society.
The life of every single person in our care is valued, and Friday was profoundly tragic for the department as two individuals lost their lives.
Friday's deaths are the sixth and seventh to occur on Rikers through not even the first six months of the year and exceed the five that died in DOC custody.
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