Today, public defenders, community advocates, and family members held a vigil, silent march, and lit candles to honor the twenty people who have died in NYC Department of Correction custody since 2021. The latest man to die, Dashawn Carter, passed away last week at Rikers Island at the age of 25.

The crisis on Rikers has only worsened over the past year and a half, and the deaths continue to mount. The mourners called on public officials to take sweeping and immediate action to halt the violent and inhumane conditions on Rikers Island and protect incarcerated people from preventable death and injury.

Last week, the NYC Board of Correction issued a scathing report finding that correction guards failed to prevent the deaths of three men who died earlier this year. The board found seven “key findings” in their investigation, including: unstaffed posts, lack of floor officers, insufficient rounds, lack of emergency medical response and missed medical appointments.