Fourth inmate dies in custody at Rikers Island

Officials say 25-year-old Dashawn Carter died while in custody on Rikers Island, the fourth inmate to die in custody at Rikers this year.

NEW YORK - For the fourth time so far in 2022, an inmate has died while being held in custody at Rikers Island, officials say.

25-year-old Dashawn Carter was taken into custody on May 5 on burglary charges. He died just two days later.

The cause of Carter's death is under investigation.

A federal monitor has given the city until the middle of May to correct issues at the jail or be placed under federal control.

Inside Rikers Island

FOX 5's Lisa Evers gets an exclusive look inside the notorious Rikers Island jail complex with Louis Molina, the new commissioner of the Department of Correction.

Sixteen people died while being held in custody at Rikers in 2021.

Rikers Island has been a major issue for lawmakers in New York City for the last several years. Plans to close the facility have moved slowly, while the average length of stay in the city's jails has increased from 187 days to 329 days.

Last month, new Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina was grilled for hours by City Council members angry over the agency's alleged mismanagement of the jail.

NYC jails chief in hot seat

New York City lawmakers questioned the commissioner of the Department of Correction about problems at Rikers Island. City Council members blasted Commissioner Louis Molina for not being able to answer simple questions such as staffing levels at city jails, medical wait times, and more.

As crime rises in New York City and police make more arrests, issues at Rikers may become more exacerbated.

Last year, the city announced that it was bringing in private security to help deal with staffing shortages at the jail.

However, advocates continue to call for the jail to be shut down entirely, with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams calling the conditions there a "humanitarian crisis."