Central New York Chapter — Demanding Justice and Accountability at Onondaga County Jail

Demanding Justice and Accountability at Onondaga County Jail

On Sept. 4, 2010, a diverse crowd of more than 200 concerned citizens marched and rallied in Syracuse to protest inhumane and abhorrent conditions at the Onondaga County Justice Center.

Marchers called on public officials to address the systemic problems plaguing the county jail and initiate real solutions.

Chapter Director Barrie Gewanter, who worked with a large coalition of community groups to organize the rally, demanded that local elected officials fulfill their constitutional duty to ensure that people held at the jail are treated humanely.

“The elected and appointed officials of this county have a constitutional obligation to ensure that no one in this jail is subjected to cruel and unusual punishment and that no one in this jail is denied even the minimal standards of medical care,” Gewanter said. “It is the responsibility of the county legislators to exercise their oversight to ensure that this is done. And from what I can see, they are all failing.”

Marchers demanded justice for Chuniece Patterson and Raul Pinet Jr., who died while in custody at the jail.

Patterson died at the jail in November 2009 after suffering a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Jail staff refused to provide her medical attention as she cried desperately for help. Pinet died in August following an altercation with deputies at the jail in which he was badly beaten.

These senseless and preventable deaths have caught the public’s attention, but there are many reports of misconduct and neglect at the jail.

The NYCLU has received alarming reports of widespread abuse and neglect, including incidents of deputies using racial and homophobic slurs, nurses refusing to dispense prescribed medications staff ignoring inmates repeated complaints of pain or illness, and of deputies who used excessive force or misused their power to impose harsh restrictions and punishments.

Gewanter is working with partners throughout the community on a series of initiatives to improve conditions at the jail.