Four New Yorkers have died in City custody in just over a week, as reported by The New York Times.

Jimmy Avila, a 44-year-old client of The Legal Aid Society, died in the custody of the New York City Department of Correction (DOC) on Saturday.

“Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Avila’s family, friends, and loved ones,” reads a statement from Legal Aid. “We demand an immediate, independent, and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.”

“Mr. Avila, who struggled with serious mental health issues, passed away on Rikers Island after being held there for less than 24 hours. Given his condition, this should have been immediately flagged at intake, and he should have been under DOC’s close watch,” the statement continues. “The fact that defense counsel found out about his death from a press release instead of outreach from the Department is completely unacceptable.”

“With each of these deaths, the City responds with the same boilerplate language, but conditions don’t improve, the people we represent continue to suffer, and these tragic deaths continue to mount.”