New York City’s notorious prison lost another inmate to suicide on Wednesday morning, the 14th death in custody this year. Kevin Bryan, 35, was found hanging from a pipe inside a staff bathroom at Rikers Island, just six days after he entered the facility, the New York Post reported. The lone officer on duty had reportedly placed Bryan in the staff area after the detainee was “bullied” by other inmates, but lost control of the situation when she went to call for backup. That’s when Bryan went to the bathroom and bolted the door. An assistant deputy warden arrived around 7:08 a.m. and kicked down the bathroom door to find the inmate unresponsive. “If she had [another] officer on the floor this probably would not have happened,” Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio told the Post. In August, three Rikers officers were suspended after they allegedly stood by as an inmate took his own life.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can also text or dial 988.
