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Rikers Guard Who Let Inmate "Bake To Death" And Lied About It Won't Get Any Prison Time
By
Miranda Katz
Published Feb 18, 2016
Modified Feb 18, 2016
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By
Miranda Katz
Published Feb 18, 2016
Modified Feb 18, 2016
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The Rikers Island correction officer who neglected to check on a mentally ill inmate who then died in an overheated cell pleaded guilty yesterday, admitting that she lied about checking on inmates that night. Carol Lackner, 36, will not serve any jail time, but will be on probation for five years.
The Bronx District Attorney brought these charges against Lackner in December 2014, accusing her of falsifying records on February 14th, 2014, the night that Jerome Murdough, 56, died in a 101-degree cell. Lackner was supposed to conduct regular rounds to check on inmates in the jail's mental observation housing area, and though she noted in her logbook that she had indeed been making those rounds on the night of the 14th, surveillance video showed that this was not the case.
Lackner's shift ended at 2:30 a.m., and the officer who relieved her found Murdough in his overheated cell, lying unresponsive in a pool of his own blood and vomit.
Murdough had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and was taking psychotropic medication for those disorders that doctors said made him more susceptible to heat—when he was discovered, he had an internal body temperature of 103 degrees. It was later revealed that Rikers officials had submitted a work order request to repair the heat in his cell on February 14th, but because it was a holiday weekend, the request was not processed until the following Tuesday.
Lackner was faced with four years in prison for falsifying records the night of Murdough's death, but as of Wednesday's sentencing, she won't serve any time. In a 2014 interview, Lackner said, "I don’t know why I’m getting all the blame"; indeed, she is the only person who has faced criminal charges in Murdough's death. In October 2014, Murdough's family received a $2.25 million settlement from the city, and when announcing the settlement, Comptroller Scott Stringer said that "Rikers Island is broken."
In the past week, several elected officials have butted heads over what to do about the facility. In a speech last Thursday, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said that she would like to see the city's jail population shrink so much that Rikers would be shuttered. Governor Cuomo backed that suggestion, though he suggested closing Rikers and building several smaller facilities in its place. But on Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio said that while closing Rikers is appealing, he sees it as unrealistic: "The problem is, it would cost many billions of dollars, and I have to look out for what’s feasible and I have to look out for the taxpayer."
The latest counts show that nearly 40 percent of inmates at Rikers Island have diagnosed mental illnesses, and those inmates are more likely to be subjected to violence, both from other inmates and correction officers.
Lackner's attorney did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Tagged
carol lackner
guard neglect
jerome murdough
Rikers Island
Miranda Katz
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