NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A man who was being held on Rikers Island died early Monday, marking the seventh death in the jail system this year, the Department of Corrections said.
A man, whose name and age have not been released at this time, was pronounced dead at the George R. Vierno Center around 1:30 a.m.
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The cause of his death is under investigation and will be confirmed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, DOC officials said.
In a statement, DOC Commissioner Louis A. Molina said the department is "saddened to hear of the passing of this individual."
"Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones," he continued. "Every person in our custody is someone's son, daughter, brother or sister, and it is an especially heartbreaking tragedy to learn that a loved one has passed away while incarcerated."
According to officials, all deaths in custody are first investigated by the State Attorney General's Office and the NYC Department of Investigation.
The announcement comes nearly a month after another man became the sixth to die at the complex this year on May 28 and after a federal judge approved the DOC's plans to temporarily avoid a federal takeover on June 14.
The judge will review the city's progress in November, and the federal monitor tasked with investigating human rights abuses at Rikers will issue a report on the DOC's progress in October.
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