NYC disregarded mental health alerts before a man's self-inflicted death at Rikers
In a tragic turn of events, Jimmy Avila, a community advocate and tenant leader, died by suicide on August 30 at Rikers Island. This unfortunate incident occurred less than 24 hours after his arrest in Philadelphia.
Avila's death is the 11th in city custody or shortly after release this year, which is more than double the five deaths recorded in all of 2024. This alarming statistic has prompted advocates and public defenders to voice their concerns about the treatment of individuals with severe mental illness at Rikers Island.
The Legal Aid Society, which represented Avila, stated that he had serious mental illness and should have been under close supervision. Following his arrest, Avila was taken to Lincoln Hospital for medical and mental health needs. However, it is alleged that he was later left unmonitored in a cell at the West Facility, where he took his own life within six hours of arriving in Manchester City.
The lawsuit seeking justice for Avila's death alleges that corrections officers ignored explicit warnings about his mental health. It also seeks surveillance footage, medical records, internal communications, and the names of all officials involved in Avila's arrest, transport, medical care, and detention. The lawsuit further asks a judge to preserve evidence related to Avila's death in Manchester City.
Advocates are pressing for a full receivership that would remove control from local officials, a measure aimed at addressing the ongoing mental health crisis inside the city's jails. This call for action follows a federal judge's ruling in November, which found the city in contempt for failing to protect detainees from violence and inadequate medical care.
The city's Department of Correction has referred questions to the city's Law Department, where a spokesperson said the city is reviewing the lawsuit. The institutions involved in lawsuits criticizing deaths in New York City jails typically include civil rights organizations, legal advocacy groups, and sometimes the families of deceased inmates.
Ardit Billa, another man, died at the same facility less than two weeks before Avila, prompting the suspension of three jail staffers. The ongoing mental health crisis inside the city's jails faces the threat of a federal takeover following repeated failures to protect detainees.
As the city's jail system remains under federal monitoring, the memory of Jimmy Avila, a community advocate, lives on, serving as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for reform in New York City's jails.
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