Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
City Gives $750K To Man Who Suffered Six-Day Erection In Jail
By
Nathan Tempey
Published Jul 7, 2015
Modified Jul 7, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Nathan Tempey
Published Jul 7, 2015
Modified Jul 7, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Rodney Cotton, the 51-year-old former prisoner who said he was made impotent by a six-day erection that jail workers refused to treat, has received a $750,000 settlement from the city on the eve of his trial.
Cotton had sued over the July 2011 ordeal that occurred while he was locked up at the Manhattan Detention Complex on a parole violation. The horrendous condition was a side effect of antipsychotic medication Risperdal, which he was prescribed to treat bipolar disorder, and he claimed, caused "permanent injuries to his penis." The Daily News described the experience this way:
Cotton was forced to wait out the long Independence Day weekend of 2011 in his cell with just an ice pack and Tylenol.
“I had to wear briefs or boxers. I couldn’t wear jeans,” Cotton said. “They had me walking around like that for almost a week.”
It wasn’t until he saw a third jailhouse doctor on July 8, 2011, that he was sent to Bellevue Hospital for emergency surgery, in which a catheter was implanted in his penis.
Following surgery he was sent back to the jail with stitches he was told were self-dessolving. But by Aug. 9, 2011, the stitches became embedded in the skin of his penis and had to be removed by a doctor — without anesthesia, he said.
Cotton told the tabloid he plans to move to Atlanta with the money, to be near his daughter and get a fresh start, but that it's little comfort after "they took my manhood!"
“If I had the choice between the reward and having my manhood restored, I’d have my manhood restored in a heartbeat,” Cotton said.
The Post, ever-so sensitive to his plight, had him pose for a photo holding a downturned hot dog.
The lawsuit also named the prison contractor Corizon, which employed Cotton's doctors. The company has been blamed for inmate deaths and a nurse was recently indicted for allegedly smuggling drugs, booze, and tobacco into Rikers Island. The city opted not to renew the company's contract last month.
Tagged
corizon
law department
lawsuit
Manhattan Detention Complex
Rodney Cotton
settlement
six-day erection
the tombs
Nathan Tempey
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
What to expect and avoid in NYC’s Halloween, voting, marathon and daylight saving weekend
NYC's weekendageddon is upon us.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 2:14 p.m. ET
NYC Council to weigh changes to juvenile jails as assaults and overcrowding rise
The City Council is holding a hearing Tuesday to consider several bills aimed at reducing the youth detention population and improving conditions for those who remain.
By
Samantha Max
News
NYC Council to weigh changes to juvenile jails as assaults and overcrowding rise
The City Council is holding a hearing Tuesday to consider several bills aimed at reducing the youth detention population and improving conditions for those who remain.
By
Samantha Max
Early Addition: Who's giving out those chic little Nordic gummies this Halloween?
By
James Ramsay
In East Brooklyn, aging NYCHA homes get a $636M upgrade
By
Willow Higgins
What NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins
By
Caroline Lewis
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .