Black man becomes 14th person to die in custody at Rikers Island as facility remains under scrutiny

Rikers Island: Black Man Aramis Furse Dies In NYC Dept. Of Correction Custody, 14th In 2025

Source: Spencer Platt / Getty Rikers Island has been an infamous institution in New York City for decades now. It has been the subject of public scrutiny, rap lyrics, social justice movements, and most notably, the prison where Korey Wise, one of the Exonerated Five, was sent to at just 16 years old. The conditions are deplorable, the inmates are violent, and the correctional officers who run the facility aren’t much better than the prisoners t…

Black man becomes 14th person to die in custody at Rikers Island as facility remains under scrutiny

Aramis Furse has become the 14th person to die in or immediately after NYC Department of Corrections (DOC) custody after he was found “unwell” in his Rikers Island cell. The 32-year-old Black man died on December 7 shortly after paramedics transported him to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital. “The Department is mourning the tragic death of an individual in our custody,” said DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie in a statement. “We extend our deepe…