A Rikers Island detainee, Christian Collado, age 51, passed away while under the care of Bellevue Hospital's jail ward yesterday. The Department of Correction reported his death, noting that Collado had been receiving palliative care following a terminal cancer diagnosis. According to Gothamist, Collado's passing marks the eighth detainee death in DOC custody this year.
Collado, detained since October on charges including burglary and criminal possession of stolen property, had been in and out of hospital care during his incarceration, undergoing transfers between Rikers and Bellevue Hospital. His attorney, Judah Maltz, filed a motion for his release just a day before his demise, deeming him physically incapable to stand trial. "I blame the system," Maltz told Gothamist. "There should be a law allowing lawyers to file a motion asking for physical examination to see if a person is physically able to stand trial."
The need for reforms in handling the ill and terminal detainees echoes in Maltz's sentiment. "If someone is very, very sick and unable to face trial, let two doctors be ordered," Maltz suggested, frustrated by the lack of protocols to address the physical capacity of defendants standing trial. Gothamist reports that Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, the Correction Commissioner, extended sympathies to Collado's family, stating, "Our thoughts are with Mr. Collado’s loved ones at this time," as per the Queens Eagle.
While the exact cause of Collado's death was not disclosed immediately, the gravity of his health issues was well-documented. As cited in an interview by the Queens Eagle, Maltz detailed previous efforts to have the charges against his client dropped given the severity of his illness, to no avail. The Queens district attorney's office, while acknowledging the updates on Collado's condition, remained firm in their pursuit of the case, as Brendan Bosh, spokesperson, defended, emphasizing the alleged crimes in their statement to the Eagle.
The ongoing issues at Rikers Island have prompted the consideration of a receiver to manage the facility, which could signal major changes to how such cases are handled in the future. The new remedial manager, to be decided by Chief Judge Laura Swain, is anticipated to receive applications by the end of August, as outlined by the Queens Eagle. This action follows over 100 deaths at Rikers Island in the past decade and a series of detainee deaths this year, including the recent passings of James Maldonado and Benjamin Kelly.
