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Q&A
BOC's review of DOC's emergency response strategy following Robert Brooks' death
4:35:19
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161 sec
Council Member Diana Ayala inquires about any new reviews of the Department of Correction's emergency response strategy following the death of Robert Brooks at Mercy Correctional Facility. BOC officials explain their process for investigating deaths in custody and their ability to recommend improvements.
- BOC's special investigation team reviews all deaths on Rikers Island, requesting information from various sources.
- The team evaluates materials to produce an assessment of procedural issues and potential improvements.
- BOC conducts proactive conversations with facility wardens to share findings and discuss areas for improvement.
- The importance of access to surveillance footage in death investigations is highlighted, with recent cases benefiting from this access.
Diana Ayala
4:35:19
Before the June?
4:35:22
Yes.
4:35:22
Okay.
4:35:23
We can safely say that.
4:35:24
Okay.
4:35:30
Following the circumstances around the death of Robert Brooks at Mercy Correctional Facility and the multiple lawsuits following that alleged wrongdoing by the facility's CERT team, has there been any discussion around conducting a new review of DOC's emergency response strategy?
Jasmine Georges-Yilla
4:35:49
The state level, the deaths that are?
Diana Ayala
4:35:52
On the OC, I mean using that as an example, has that influenced your position on whether or not you should be conducting a review of the OC's emergency response strategy?
Jasmine Georges-Yilla
4:36:07
Well whenever a death occurs on the island, our special investigation team goes out, they they request information from CHS, from DOC, from the medical examiners, and evaluates all of the materials that we have to be able to produce an assessment of what procedurally went wrong and what procedurally can be done better.
4:36:33
And so that's what our reports address and it's it's it's based on what's written in the charter of what we're able to evaluate.
4:36:41
And so if those are conversations that can be had with the council to figure out how we can expand what we're able to look into, then that's something that we're happy and would want to do.
Diana Ayala
4:36:55
So the board is not able to proactively have a conversation about preventative measures in light of things that have happened on the state level or other facilities?
Melissa Cintrón Hernández
4:37:11
So our special investigations team does not only look into deaths in custody, they also investigate unresponsive persons in custody.
4:37:19
As part of that work, they do have proactive conversations with each facility's wardens.
4:37:24
We share our findings.
4:37:26
We share our memos, and we have a conversation about areas where DOC can improve.
4:37:33
So, those conversations have been happening since before the death of Mr.
4:37:37
Brooks, and they will continue happening.
4:37:39
And I will say that Mr.
4:37:40
Brooks' death is illustrative of how important it is that the DOC have access to surveillance footage, and that is essential to all of our investigations of deaths in custody, and in the last two deaths, that's definitely something that has aided our investigations.