On the Cover of New York Magazine: The Men Who Died at Rikers

janvier 04, 2022

On the Cover: Illustrations by Chuy Hartman

For our first cover story of 2022, journalists Bliss Broyard and Lisa Riordan Seville eulogize the 15 men who died at, or shortly after leaving, Rikers Island in 2021. Conditions in the jail complex (where, it should be noted, most of the incarcerated are awaiting trial and presumed innocent, with many only there because they can't afford bail) reached a crisis point last year, with COVID spiking in the early months, violence commonplace, self-harm on the rise, and staffing shortages leading to inmates being held in inhumane situations. Those who died lost their lives to suicide, overdose, inadequate medical care, COVID complications, and other grim factors. Broyard and Seville conducted some 75 interviews with the deceased's family members, friends, attorneys, and fellow detainees to tell the stories of their lives — and how they came to an end.

READ THE COVER STORY »

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