Scott Hechinger, Senior Staff Attorney & Director of Policy Brooklyn Defender Services, and Kelsey de Avila, Jail Services social worker, talk about challenges that inmates in Rikers Island face around the holidays, including lack of heat in much of the jail and restrictive visiting hours.
Do you have a loved one at Rikers who is would benefit from thermal underwear, socks and or an extra t-shirt? Call 646 971 2696, with the recipient’s name, booking and case number, size, and the facility they’re located and Brooklyn Defenders will send them a package. Here's the Amazon wishlist of the items people detained at Rikers can use.
This segment was guest hosted by Sarah Gonzalez.
"At any given day there are 9,000 people at Rikers Island. Right now we should all assume that all of them are in need of warmth and some form of entertainment to take their mind off the hell of being incarcerated." -@ScottHech
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) December 21, 2017
Rikers is COLD. Inmates only have paper-thin uniforms (often short-sleeved) and one thin blanket for warmth. @BklynDefender created an Amazon Wishlist of items, like t-shirts, socks + thermal underwear to help their detained clients get through the winter https://t.co/UP2feoCtM2
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) December 21, 2017
As we collect donated items to send to people at Rikers, NY state prisons are blocking packages from loved ones unless they're purchased at inflated prices from "approved vendors." #tellDOCCSno https://t.co/ikgFUvpbcr @BrianLehrer @LegalAidNYC
— Brooklyn Defender Services (@BklynDefender) December 21, 2017