Five people who worked at the Rikers Island jail complex in New York City, as well as a detainee there, have been charged with corruption, including smuggling contraband like cellphones, oxycodone, marijuana, fentanyl, and K2.
During the smuggling period, visitation had ceased due to the pandemic, but overdoses in city jails rose significantly. In 2021, 113 overdoses requiring a 911 call happened, a 55% increase from the previous year.
In 2022, of the 19 people who died in the jails or shortly after release, five had overdosed on drugs. This corruption by employees and officers exacerbated the unsafe conditions at Rikers Island.
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