Two Rikers Island deaths in one afternoon Friday

Two prisoners died just over an hour apart Friday — one at Rikers Island, and one after a medical emergency on a bus en route to the facility — city correction officials said.

The deaths follow five others this year that legal aid organizations have described as “Rikers-related” — people who died in the Department of Corrections’ custody, or shortly after release. According to the Board of Corrections, five people died at Rikers in all of 2024.

The deaths throughout the year have fueled calls from prisoner support organizations to put Rikers into receivership – an independent governance structure that would take authority over the jails from Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.

According to the Department of Correction, Friday’s first death occurred mid-afternoon. It said an officer observed 37-year-old Benjamin Kelly in medical distress at the Eric M. Taylor Center at 2:59 p.m., during a tour of the facility. Kelly was given medical aid, but died at about 3:31 p.m., according to the department.

A statement from the department didn’t explain what the officer saw that indicated Kelly was in distress, or give any details on the treatment rendered. It didn’t say what if any incident may have preceded the medical issue, or if Kelly was known to be ill.

The department hasn’t released the name of the second individual, pending notification of his family. It said the man was on a bus en route to be admitted to Rikers around 4:30 p.m., after being discharged from a hospital before a court appearance, when he suffered a medical emergency. It said the individual was given medical assistance in the sallyport of the Eric M. Taylor Center, but was pronounced dead at 4:49 p.m.

As with the first incident, a statement from the department didn’t provide any details on the nature of the medical emergency, any incident that may have preceded it or the assistance rendered.

The department said it would investigate both deaths.

“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,” NYC Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said in the statement. “Our deepest sympathies are with their loved ones.”

The deaths come amid yearslong public calls to address reports of violence, abuse and other mistreatment at Rikers Island. Last month, an independent commission found that the city would not make good on its legally mandated directive to shut down the jails by 2027.

The Department of Correction did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Gothamist.

This is a developing story and may be updated.