The largest settlement has been reached by the City of New York. The city agreed to pay up to a $53 million dollar settlement to 4,400 people who were placed in Rikers Island Solitary between the year 2018-2022.
$53 Million Dollar Settlement: NYC Agrees To Compensate 4,400 Detainees In Rikers Island Solitary
The City of New York agreed to pay up to $53 million dollar to 4,400 people who were wrongfully held in extremely restrictive areas in Rikers Island.
The settlement ends a case called Miller V. City of New York, which was filed in 2021 in Manhattan Federal Court and claimed that people were jailed on Rikers Island and in Manhattan between the years 2018 and 2022 is a violation of their due process rights. Each of the detainees will receive $9,000, depending on how many days they were jailed in solitary confinement.
The lawsuit focused on detainees who were put in two jails on Rikers which is in the West Facility and North Infirmary Command and it was in the 9th-floor unit in the Tombs in lower Manhattan. They held 23 hours a day and the cells were like tombs. The people held in the unit were deprived of anything that can be seen outside just as natural light-fresh air and many more.
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$53 Million Dollar Settlement: NYC Will Pay 4,400 Detainees In Rikers Island Solitary
The lawsuit claimed that the detainees suffering in that confinement violated the city rules. The Correction Department ignored the law and the warnings also the detainees have the right for hearing but they took the position that hearings are not necessary. According to Alex Reinert, the Board of Correction has made some progress toward ending inhumane practices in confinement. He added that this litigation will ensure the City permanently embraces the practice and always prioritize the safety of all individuals.
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