Manish Kunwar died on Rikers Island last Thursday, Oct. 5, after reportedly entering custody just a week before. The 27-year-old Nepali native was found unresponsive in his cell at the complex’s Eric M. Taylor Center (EMTC) jail.
Kunwar is the eighth person to die while held on Rikers Island and the ninth to die in NYC Department of Corrections (DOC) custody this year. His identity was first confirmed by the Legal Aid Society, which claimed him as a client in a statement.
“Mr. Kunwar’s case yet again highlights the harm of incarceration in lieu of treatment,” the public defense service wrote. “If our client had access to the services he needed and stable housing, today’s tragedy could have been avoided.
“The carceral system is no place for people struggling with mental or substance abuse issues, and all criminal legal system stakeholders must pursue alternatives that prioritize community-based resources over the confines of a cage.”
The medical examiner will determine the cause of death and the Board of Correction (BOC) Committee on Death, Near Death, and Serious Injuries is currently investigating the surrounding circumstances. According to the DOC, Kunwar officially entered custody on September 27, but his lawyers say he was in Rikers custody for “just seven days.”
The Eric M. Taylor Center, which is frequently used for intake and short sentences, was shuttered in 2020 as part of the Rikers Island’s mandated closure, now scheduled for 2027. But the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a nearly immediate reopening to house infected detainees.
Sharlene Melendez, a member of the community organization Katal Center, called Kunwar’s passing “heart-shattering” and mentioned her own anxieties for her son, who is being held at Rikers.
“No matter what you did, no one should have to pay for a mistake they may or may not have made with their lives,” she said. “On days like these, I worry even more about the safety of my child. How are you supposed to show up to work with a heavy heart and mind?”
Kunwar’s death coincided with a federal monitor’s newest report detailing Rikers Island conditions, which was also released on October 5. The findings detailed unsafe jail conditions, including three serious injury incidents that the monitor says “illustrate how poor staff practice exacerbates the grave risk of harm to people in custody.”
They detailed how unstaffed housing units led to one detainee getting assaulted with scalding hot water and another attacked in his cell, as well as unit staff not properly assisting an assaulted detainee who was later hospitalized for “a fractured nose, injury to the eye, and post-concussive syndrome.” None of the three incidents were reported in a timely manner, according to the monitor.
As aforementioned, Rikers Island jails including the EMTC are scheduled to close before the end of summer 2027. A BOC status update on the move to replace the facilities with four borough-based jails was released two weeks ago and found August’s average daily population on Rikers was “nearly double” the total number of detainees the city can hold once the plan is completed. The four borough-based jails combined can house around 3,300 people, based on current specifications.
The BOC also reported those held at the Anna M. Kross Center—Rikers’ largest jail, where multiple deaths this year occurred—were transferred to other facilities in August. That leaves a reported seven Rikers Island jails housing those in custody, including the Eric M. Taylor Center.
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.