In a tragic turn of events, Ricky Howell, a 60-year-old Staten Island resident, succumbed to his terminal cancer diagnosis while in the jail ward of Bellevue Hospital. This unfortunate incident has ignited controversy as it is alleged that he was unjustifiably incarcerated.
Howell was initially arrested due to multiple parole violations and burglary charges. He was transferred to the jail ward on the 9th of February even when his deteriorating health condition was condiered. Reports indicate that Howell's life was abruptly ended shortly after 5 p.m. on a recent Thursday.
The matter has triggered a wave of criticism from the Legal Aid Society. They have struck out at the judiciary and prosecution for their persistent efffort to imprison him despite his ailing health. An earlier report, surfacing from the Staten Island Advance, mentioned that Howell was dealing with the severe implications of Stage 4 cancer.
Furthermore, his defense attorney, Kelvin Richards, strongly voiced against his continued incarceration as Howell's criminal proceedings were ongoing He remarked that locking up a terminally ill patient like Howell, serves no interest to justice.
Howell's death is the fifth in this year, and the second within a span of three days, compared to the 19 jail deaths recorded in 2022 and 16 in 2021. This week itself saw the demise of 40-year-old Felix Taveras at Elmhurst Hospital, and the cause of death is being probed as a potential overdose. In this current year, there have been other mysterious death cases like that of Joshua Valles and Rubu Zhao. The death of Marvin Pines in February had lead to the suspension of five correctional staff.
