Thread by @chadtopaz

A tiny subset of terrible things that have happened at #Rikers Island #Jail in #NewYorkCity: a primer for upper middle class white people. If you don't know these stories, you are not doing your job as a human.

I'm tweeting about #jails and #bail because (real, substantive) #bailreform is good for society and we need more of it. And I'm tweeting for upper middle class white people because we have a lot of power/positionality, and yet tend to be least knowledgeable about the issues.

Upper middle class white people: I beg you, I plead with you, to educate yourself on these critical criminal justice topics which affect minoritized people most directly, and yet which also affect ALL of society.

This is the second thread in a series of (almost) weekdaily threads I'm doing as a lead up to release of a large bail-related project that will soon come out. ICYMI, here's yesterday's thread.

https://twitter.com/chadtopaz/status/1654097769856921600

Anyway, on to #Rikers, the infamous New York City jail. It has a long history of numerous cases of violence, abuse, and neglect towards those who are incarcerated. These incidents have led to deaths, injuries, and trauma that continue to impact countless individuals and families.

What this has to do with #bail is that on any given day, MOST people in #Rikers are there because they can't pay bail. vera.org/publications/a….

Here is a tiny subset of horrors that have occurred. It's not easy to grapple with these, but it's critical that we do so.

In 2011, a group of incarcerated individuals, mostly Black and Latinx, filed a lawsuit against Rikers Island, alleging that they were subjected to racial discrimination and abuse by guards who used racist language and excessive force. nypost.com/2015/07/14/cit…

In 2012, three Rikers guards beat Ronald Spear to death and tried to cover up the murder. Spear was held on burglary charges and for the crime of being too poor to pay bail. He was in a special medical unit because he had server kidney disease. latimes.com/nation/la-na-r…

In 2013, a mentally ill man named Bradley Ballard died after being unattended in his cell for 7 days. During that time, while being denied his meds, he tied a rubber band around his genitals, and ultimately was found covered in his own feces. gothamist.com/news/details-o…

In 2014, a mentally ill man named Jerome Murdough died after being left unattended in a sweltering hot cell. Murdough was in jail for trespassing charges and for the crime of not being able to make $2,500 bail. theguardian.com/us-news/2014/d…

In 2015, a teenage inmate named Kalief Browder committed suicide after spending three years at Rikers Island without ever being convicted of a crime. I plan to write a separate thread on Browder in the coming days. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalief_Br…

In 2016, Rolando Perez died at Rikers while screaming for his seizure medication. He was there on burglary charges and, more to the point, for the crime of not being able to make bail. apnews.com/article/9f9143…

In 2017, a Rikers Island physician assistant was indicted for raping four incarcerated women. nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-c…

In 20218 Joseph Troiano was held in Rikers for alleged shoplifting and for the crime of not being able to pay bail. He was slashed across the face by another inmate. As a gay man, he had asked the jail for protective custody and had been denied it. abc7ny.com/rikers-island-…

In 2019, a transgender woman named Layleen Polanco died in solitary confinement at Rikers after NOT receiving medical care for an epileptic seizure. She was in jail on a sex work charge and for the cime of not being able to pay $500 bail. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_…

In 2020, Michael Tyson died in Rikers from catching COVID there. He was being held on a technicality related to a parole violation. thecity.nyc/2020/4/6/21210…

In 2021, Jose Martinez died in Rikers from being neglected during a medical emergency. He was there for allegedly stealing beer. And, of course, the crime of being unable to pay bail. Yes: the system basically put him to death for maybe stealing a beer. thecity.nyc/2021/6/15/2253…

I've been giving you MERELY ONE horrific story per year. To give a bigger picture... in 2022, at least 19 people died at Rikers. vera.org/news/nyc-jail-…

You know what the best way is to keep people from being assaulted, abused, and/or killed in jail is? DON'T HOLD THEM THERE PRETRIAL, especially for these meaningless alleged crimes such as stealing a bear. I mean, WTAF.

Please share, and please keep an eye out for more threads next week and, before long, a big announcement about bail.

^^^^oops, I meant 🍺 not 🐻

^^^I may be wrong about the Troiano being denied protective custody part. I've seen conflicting info on this. Even if he hadn't been denied it... uh, it doesn't make me feel better if he were assaulted WHILE under protection.