This recent article in the NY Times highlights an increase in violence at Rikers by stating:
“In New York, gangs have fueled an increase in violence at the city’s jails. In the 2015 fiscal year, there were 108 stabbings and slashings of inmates in city jails — most of which involved a gang member as either an assailant or a victim, or both, according to correction officials — compared with 41 in the 2011 fiscal year. The number of fights among inmates also rose during the same period, to 4,542 from 3,669.”
Everyone seems to be pointing to Rikers Island as this hotbed of violence that seems to act as a petri dish which some how creates and escalates violence. I’m sure being detained in close quarters with typically aggressive people with exacerbate an already violent problem. However, no one seems to be focusing on the apparent gang related catalyst here. It seems to be that the gang control and gang affiliation has expanded and increased and that is what seems to be fueling a lot of these violent fires here. The Lightfoot case, the famous Bacallao case, and the many others involving CO on inmate abuse all seem to have one thing in common – gang affiliation. Instead of throwing billions of dollars at an unfixable situation, why not spend those billions on dismantling gangs some how. Just a thought.
If you, or a loved one, was the victim of gang violence, especially by a correction officer in a gang, please fill out the form to the right immediately so that someone can help you out and make sure you don’t miss any statutes of limitations. You must file a notice of claim or complaint within 90 days of the date of incident otherwise you may be barred from ever pursuing justice.
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