""While we do not yet know the cause of death, too many have died on Rikers Island for far too long. Rikers must close, and we will pursue every avenue to do so as quickly as possible.""
""To prevent more deaths, Rikers must be shut down. To shut down Rikers, the city must pass a budget that cuts funding for the Department of Correction and invests in community-based alternatives.""
Barry Cozart, a 39-year-old man, died while in custody at Rikers Island, marking the first death since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office. Cozart had been held since November on various charges and was awaiting court. He was found needing medical aid and could not be revived. The cause of death is undetermined, and oversight agencies have been notified. Mayor Mamdani expressed concern and emphasized the need for transparency, reiterating the call to close Rikers amid ongoing criticism of the jail's conditions and budget proposals.
Read at Gothamist
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