At notorious jail, guards feel heat for teen’s near suicide

New York (AP) — Four guards accused of standing by while a teenage inmate tried to hang himself himself on Thanksgiving at New York City’s notorious Rikers Island jail have been suspended without pay.

Nicholas Feliciano, 18, remained unconscious in the intensive care unit of a hospital prison ward Wednesday, a week after he nearly died in his jail cell, according to the Legal Aid Society, the public defender organization that represents him in court.

Mayor Bill de Blasio called the allegations that officers failed to immediately intervene in Feliciano’s suicide attempt “deeply troubling.”

“The people in our jails are human beings,” de Blasio wrote on Twitter. “Their well-being is our responsibility.”

Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann said in a statement the allegations were “extremely troubling and we are taking them seriously.”

The city’s internal watchdog said it is investigating.

Meanwhile, the Legal Aid Society is calling on authorities to drop the alleged parole violation that put Feliciano behind bars on Nov. 19, arguing that having him under constant supervision, with a correctional officer by his hospital bedside has “exacerbated his family’s grief and anxiety.”

The organization also questioned why Feliciano was put in jail in the first place, given his age and what it said was his known mental health history of past suicide attempts and the city jail system’s poor track record of managing inmates’ suicide risks.

No criminal charges have resulted from the alleged conduct that led to Feliciano’s jailing, the Legal Aid Society said.

“Nicholas’ tragedy illustrates the dangers and horrors of relying on our broken parole and correctional systems to address a mental health crisis,” the organization said in a written statement.