The Legal Aid Society, together with New York City’s defender organizations are mourning the senseless death of Brandon Rodriguez, who was detained on Rikers Island.

Mr. Rodriguez, who was 25 years old, was found dead in his cell on August 10, the cause of death has not been released. Since March, there have been at least five deaths inside Rikers Island, according to Gothamist.

Advocates expressed dismay but not surprise. Conditions on Rikers have been dangerous for years and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse.

“As advocates, we have been raising the alarm about substandard care and inhumane treatment in these locations for many years, yet the conditions have continued to deteriorate,” read a joint statement from advocacy groups that included Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and New York County Defender Services. “The pandemic has both exacerbated and exposed the deplorable circumstances in which our incarcerated neighbors are forced to live.”

The organizations reiterated their call on prosecutors to stop seeking bail, which during the COVID-19 pandemic unnecessarily exposes individuals to life-threatening conditions. Reducing the jail population is the only way to avoiding risking more deaths in Department of Correction custody.