Podcast Summary: Still My Baby – "The Untold Story: Travon Explores the Humanitarian Crisis on Rikers Island"

Release Date: October 25, 2022
Hosts: Lemonada Media & Campaign Zero
Episode Focus: The humanitarian crisis at Rikers Island, New York City's notorious pretrial detention facility.

Introduction

In this pivotal episode of Still My Baby, host Trayvon Free delves deep into the ongoing humanitarian crisis at Rikers Island. Taking over from Jay Ellis, Trayvon introduces the severity of conditions within the facility and sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of systemic failures, personal stories, and potential solutions.

Personal Testimonies: Vidal Guzman's Experience

Vidal Guzman, a central figure in the episode, recounts his harrowing experiences at Rikers Island:

• Arrival and Immediate Conditions
  [00:03]
  "Our legs was chained up, our hands is chained up... Welcome to Gladiator School," Vidal describes the intimidating and violent initiation into the jail's brutal environment.

• Daily Trauma and Violence
  [05:47]
  "I used to wake up from my sleep sweating, just looking around me, thinking that someone's going to attack me."

• Impact of Overcrowding and Mismanagement
  [06:01]
  "Close to 26 to 27 people have died in the past 19 months because of all different types of issues."

Vidal's narrative underscores the psychological and physical toll Rikers takes on its inhabitants, many of whom await trial without conviction.

Current State of Rikers Island

The episode paints a grim picture of Rikers Island's current conditions:

• Facility Overview
  Rikers Island, opened in 1932, serves as a pretrial detention center, holding over 5,000 individuals, many of whom have not been convicted of any crime. Its proximity to Midtown Manhattan juxtaposes the inhumane conditions within.

• Increased Mortality Rates
  [06:26]
  Trayvon Free lists recent deaths: "Tars Youngblood, George Pagan, Herman Diaz..." highlighting preventable deaths due to inadequate medical care and supervision.

• Structural and Administrative Failures
  [12:25]
  "People assume Rikers is this terrible place they've heard about for, like, terrible people convicted of heinous crimes. But the crazy thing is Rikers is a pretrial Det. Center."

Attempts at Reform: Consent Decree and Federal Monitor

Efforts to reform Rikers have been ongoing but largely ineffective:

• Kalief Browder's Tragic Story
  Kalief Browder's prolonged detention without trial and subsequent suicide epitomize the system's failures. [10:08]

• Consent Decree and Monitoring
  [23:25]
  A 2014 lawsuit by Mark Nunez led to a consent decree requiring Rikers to implement several reforms. However, ongoing monitor reports indicate little to no improvement, with continued violence and mismanagement.

• Financial Mismanagement
  [10:56]
  "Spending per person has continued to grow and now totals more than half a million dollars per person in custody per year," reveals the inefficiency and excessive costs associated with maintaining Rikers.

Proposed Solution: Federal Receivership

The episode explores the concept of federal receivership as a potential remedy:

• Definition and Precedents
  [15:26]
  A receivership involves court-appointed experts taking control of failing public institutions. The Cook County juvenile detention system's success story serves as a benchmark.

• Potential Benefits
  [16:54]
  Hernandez Stroud from the Brennan Center for Justice explains that receivership can implement necessary changes swiftly, something local leadership has struggled to achieve.

• Challenges and Timeframe
  [33:57]
  Implementing a receivership could take up to seven years, similar to the Cook County case. Despite the lengthy process, it promises more substantial and enforceable reforms compared to current measures.

Union Influence and Staffing Issues

Unions play a significant role in hindering reforms:

• Unlimited Sick Leave Policy
  [27:25]
  "If an officer doesn't come to work and doesn't call, even if it puts someone else in a terrible situation... it can take years before that AWOL officer can be fired."

• Hiring Practices
  [26:28]
  Restrictions prevent hiring managerial staff from outside New York City's system, perpetuating a cycle of inadequate leadership and entrenched toxic culture.

• Consequences of Understaffing
  [29:32]
  "Not enough people to take you to visit your family... not enough staff to distribute toenail clippers... not enough staff to take you to a medical appointment."

These policies result in operational chaos, leading to unmet medical needs, increased violence, and numerous preventable deaths.

Historical Context and Vidal's Advocacy

Vidal Guzman provides historical insights and underscores the necessity for systemic change:

• Historical Significance of Rikers Island
  [40:30]
  "Rikers island is named from someone named Richard Rikers, who was a part of the kidnapped club where he used to kidnap free black people and sell them back into slavery."

• Advocacy and Personal Transformation
  Vidal's journey from incarcerated youth to activist highlights the human element behind the statistics. His relentless efforts to hold the system accountable have been instrumental in pushing for Rikers' closure.

• Abolition and Future Vision
  [40:55]
  "We gotta keep pulling from this system until there's no one in the system."

Vidal emphasizes the importance of addressing historical injustices and ensuring that future solutions are comprehensive and transformative.

Conclusion and Call to Action

The episode concludes with a stark reminder of the urgency to act:

• Impending Closure and Risks
  Rikers Island is slated to close in 2027, but without immediate intervention, the impending transition risks perpetuating the same issues in new facilities.

• Potential Federal Intervention
  If the federal judge deems it necessary, a receiver could be appointed on November 17, 2022, to spearhead critical reforms.

• Community Involvement
  [35:17]
  "Get to know about the work, read, then go out to events and volunteer. Everyone's a leader in this work in their own capacity."

Listeners are encouraged to engage with the issue, support reforms, and advocate for humane treatment and swift justice for those detained at Rikers.

Notable Quotes

• Vidal Guzman
  [06:01] "This is a very scary moment. These are human beings, you know, these are people's families."

• Trayvon Free
  [20:02] "Are we okay with keeping things status quo and allowing that number of people to die over the next five years just because we don't want to try something different?"

• Serena Townsend
  [19:43] "The department's facilities are unsafe. The use of force and violence in the jails are inextricably linked to the department's mismanagement of staffing and its significant security failures."

Final Thoughts

"The Untold Story: Travon Explores the Humanitarian Crisis on Rikers Island" offers a comprehensive and emotionally charged examination of one of America's most troubled detention centers. Through personal narratives, expert insights, and a critical analysis of systemic flaws, the episode calls for immediate and meaningful reforms to ensure justice and humanity within the criminal justice system.

Listeners are left with a profound understanding of the challenges at Rikers Island and the imperative need for collective action to dismantle and rebuild an equitable system.