Two inmates die at Rikers Island on same day as death toll grows to 7 the year

The death toll at Rikers Island jumped to seven this year with two men dying at the notorious jail Friday, officials said.

The facility has already surpassed the number of inmate deaths in all of 2024 when five detainees died at the short-stay Bronx correctional complex.

Benjamin Kelly, 37, was discovered in medical distress at the Eric M. Taylor Center, around 3 p.m. He received emergency medical treatment but died at 3:31 p.m., according to city Correction Department officials.

Less than an hour later, James Maldanado, 56, suffered a medical emergency at approximately 4:30 p.m. while on a bus to Rikers to await a court hearing after being discharged from a hospital. He received medical aid at the jail’s sallyport but died, jail officials confirmed.

“The life of every single person in our care is valued and Friday was profoundly tragic for the department as two individuals lost their lives,” Corrections Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddle said. “Our deepest sympathies are with their loved ones.

“These incidents will be investigated thoroughly.”

The beleaguered jail has been under the supervision of a federal monitor since 2015 because of pervasive problems. Last month, a federal judge appointed a remediation manager to overhaul the jail — which has seen its population grow to more than 7,000 from about 4,000 in 2020.

The medical examiner will determine the cause of the deaths.