As we ring in the New Year and wish all a prosperous and healthy 2017, hundreds of families with loved ones behind bars could face the prospect of not knowing if their mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter has died in a New York State prison.

For instance, Lonnie Hamilton, an inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility, died in March 2016 without his family knowing. His father said in media reports that he only realized his son had died after he decided to look for his prison address on the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s (DOCCS) website. It was listed there that Lonnie was deceased.

Leonard Strickland was a prisoner at Clinton Correctional Facility in 2010. Media reports highlight that he allegedly died after an altercation with guards. Strickland was buried in the Clinton Correctional Cemetery in October 2010. His mother, who resided in Brooklyn at the time, was not provided with any information regarding how her son died. Mrs. Strickland only learned of her son’s death after a prison chaplain called a local Brooklyn, N.Y minister who informed the family.

Hamilton was buried before an autopsy was performed or reason for his death offered. For Strickland, his mother was told that his death was under investigation and no cause of death could be offered. In 2013 alone, there were 142 deaths in New York State prisons, a 23 percent increase from the prior year. Nationally, the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) found that the number of state prisoner deaths actually increased by four percent in 2013 to 3,479 deaths.

Because DOCCS investigations are often not complete for some time, many family members may wait months or even years before hearing word that their loved one has died being offered a preliminary cause of death or even being notified that their family member – an inmate in custody – has died. This unfortunately happens to many families across New York State. According to DOCCS, there were a total of 501 inmate deaths during the four year period from 2009-2012.

In New York, DOCCS says that it is responsible for the confinement and habilitation of the 52,000 individuals under custody held at 54 state facilities. This included Lonnie Hamilton and Leonard Strickland. Their families weren’t allowed the luxury to grieve their death prior to their burial.

The fact is if a family has a loved one in custody, it could take up to 12 to 18 months before any details are offered to their next of kin regarding the circumstances of their death. Now, through a new law signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo which I have authored, DOCCS will be required to be responsive to the next of kin in the event that a loved one or family member passes away behind bars. This includes additional information regarding the circumstances surrounding their passing – including an original preliminary death certificate.

Latoya Joyner represents the 77th Assembly District in the Bronx.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.