Aramis Furse has become the 14th detainee to die this year while incarcerated at Rikers Island jail complex, per Amsterdam News.
The Department of Corrections said Furse, 32, was found “unwell” in his jail cell around 2 a.m. on Sunday (Dec 7). He died at Mount Sinai Queens Hospital about an hour later.
“If you found him ‘unwell,’ then why were we not contacted?…We could’ve been en route to the hospital?” said William Furse, the victim’s father. “[The DOC] could’ve had the decency to just inform us of his transportation.”
“We happened to find out because someone called us that they had seen it on the news,” William added.
Department of Corrections release statement
“The Department is mourning the tragic death of an individual in our custody,” said DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family. The safety of everyone in our care is always our foremost concern, and we will fully investigate this tragedy.”
Public defense organizations get involved
Public defense organizations, The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services, which represented Furse, released a statement demanding full transparency and accountability.
Both organizations said Furse is “at least the 14th person to die in New York City this year alone at Rikers Island or immediately upon release from DOC custody.”
“Furse’s family, loved ones, and counsel deserve immediate access to all information surrounding his death,” the public defenders wrote. “Full transparency and accountability are essential, particularly given DOC’s repeated failure to keep families and attorneys informed or provide the answers they urgently need.”
According to court documents, Furse was arrested earlier this year on robbery, burglary and criminal mischief charges. Those same documents showed Furse was being held on a $45,000 bail or $150,000 bond. He was due in court the week of Dec 7.
Rikers Island has been heavily criticized and is facing federal takeover in the form of federal receivership due to long-standing allegations of violence and dilapidated conditions. A decision by a federal judge could allow the Justice Department to directly oversee it.
By order of a 2019 city law, Rikers Island is slated to close by the end of August 2027 and have its function replaced by four borough jails