BEDFORD, N.Y. — Two state lawmakers are urging New York corrections officials to investigate a series of recent deaths at a women’s prison in Westchester County, including two apparent suicides within the past month.
Pete Harckham and Chris Burdick sent a joint letter to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision requesting a review of conditions at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
The request follows the March 4 death of 60-year-old Manuela Morgado, which lawmakers said was the third death at the prison in four weeks and the second believed to be a suicide.
In their letter, Harckham and Burdick raised concerns about the treatment and living conditions of incarcerated individuals at the facility, particularly those experiencing mental health issues.
“A large percentage of the women incarcerated at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility suffer from mental health issues,” Burdick said in a statement. “This recent and alarming spate of suicides is tragic, and what is most tragic is that they may have been preventable. There is an urgent need for an independent, dispassionate investigation that delves into the quality of care for those suffering from mental illness.”
Harckham said the state has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of people held in its custody.
“The well-being of individuals within correctional facilities is the responsibility of the state government, and we must ensure that people in our custody are treated fairly and humanely,” Harckham said. “Reports that individuals are being denied access to basic services and are confined to their cells for excessive periods are deeply troubling.”
Advocates have also raised concerns about conditions inside the prison. The Correctional Association of New York has reported that suicides in New York state correctional facilities have increased in recent years, attributing part of the trend to staffing shortages that followed a correction officers’ strike last year. The organization said the shortages have reduced access to medical and mental health services, as well as recreational and rehabilitative programming.
Harckham and Burdick visited the Bedford Hills facility in December and met with members of the prison’s Incarcerated Liaison Committee, which represents incarcerated individuals in discussions with prison officials. According to the lawmakers, committee members raised concerns about changes to daily schedules and privileges after a new deputy superintendent of security took the position.
The lawmakers said those changes include requiring incarcerated individuals to sign up in advance for activities outside their cells, including showers, phone calls, kitchen access and laundry. They said the measures have resulted in people spending significantly more time confined to their cells.
Prison administrators previously told the legislators the restrictions were intended as temporary responses to violent incidents involving a small number of incarcerated individuals. However, a recent report by New York Focus indicated that some of those restrictions remained in place weeks later.
Harckham and Burdick said increased confinement and limited access to services could worsen mental health challenges among incarcerated individuals. They are calling on DOCCS to conduct a thorough investigation into the recent deaths and evaluate whether conditions at the facility may be contributing to the problem.
“We hope the department will examine these issues carefully so that solutions can be identified and further tragedies prevented,” the lawmakers said.
