Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man dies in custody at Rikers Island jail, officials say
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Mar 25, 2026
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 .
Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Mar 25, 2026
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
A 39-year-old man died while in custody at Rikers Island on Wednesday morning, marking the first reported death at the troubled jail since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office.
Barry Cozart died while incarcerated at the George R. Vierno Center, the city’s Department of Correction said Wednesday evening.
Cozart had been held at Rikers since his arrest in November on charges including burglary, criminal trespass and petit larceny, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty and was awaiting his next court appearance.
His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A correction officer found Cozart in need of medical aid that morning, according to the agency. Staff called for assistance and performed CPR, but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m.
The cause of death has not yet been determined. The department said it notified several oversight agencies, including the state attorney general, the city Department of Investigation and the Board of Correction.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was troubled by the death and called for transparency and accountability.
“While we do not yet know the cause of death, too many have died on Rikers Island for far too long,” Mamdani said on social media. “Rikers must close, and we will pursue every avenue to do so as quickly as possible.”
The death comes at a turbulent time for Rikers. The jail complex was originally expected to close next year, but the plan to replace it with a borough-based jail system has stalled, raising questions about how the city will proceed.
It also comes as the Mamdani administration has proposed increasing the Department of Correction’s budget by 5%.
Advocacy groups criticized the proposal and the lack of a clear timeline to close Rikers.
“To prevent more deaths, Rikers must be shut down,” said Yonah Zeitz, advocacy director of the Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice. “To shut down Rikers, the city must pass a budget that cuts the jail population and invests in real community safety: housing, health care, including mental health care, education, and jobs.”
Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards expressed condolences to Cozart’s family.
"This tragedy weighs heavily on me and on every member of this Department,” Richards said. “I extend my deepest condolences to his loved ones. Our sorrow over his loss is immeasurable.”
At least 15 people died in custody at Rikers last year. A federal monitor found many of those deaths involved lapses in supervision, staff failing to follow basic procedures and delays in emergency response.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
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 .