Legal Aid's Amanda Jack says people in withdrawal "should not remain in prolonged police custody"
Amanda JackPolicy director at The Legal Aid Society, speaking to Gothamist
Amanda Jack of the Legal Aid Society said that once the NYPD keeps someone in custody it is responsible for that person's well-being, and that people in a substance-use crisis or withdrawal need timely medical care and should not be held in prolonged police custody while awaiting arraignment on low-level offenses.
“Once the NYPD chooses to keep someone in custody, it assumes responsibility for that person's well-being ... People experiencing a substance-use crisis or withdrawal need timely medical care, and they should not remain in prolonged police custody while awaiting arraignment on low-level offenses.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Is the NYPD failing people who fall ill in its custody?
At least six people have died in 2026 after medical emergencies in NYPD custody before arraignment, most recently Reginald Newkirk, who was returned to a Brooklyn precinct after a hospital visit and died the next morning. Public defenders and elected officials say the deaths reflect systemic failures in police custody and medical care. NYPD officials say the department investigates every death and that a death does not mean officers did something wrong, and a spokesperson said all but one of this year's detainees were sent to or cleared by medical facilities before they died. The question is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Gothamist report on medical examiner findings in the deaths of Vincent Thoms, Zamiqua Miller and Hector Sierra, with responses from City Hall, the NYPD and the Legal Aid Society.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Gothamist reported medical examiner findings that the deaths of Vincent Thoms, Zamiqua Miller and Hector Sierra were accidents involving acute drug intoxication. The Legal Aid Society represented Miller.
After the quotation
She added, "No charge is more important than a person's life."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody. Jack says that once the NYPD keeps someone in custody "it assumes responsibility for that person's well-being" and that people in withdrawal "should not remain in prolonged police custody while awaiting arraignment on low-level offenses." That faults how the NYPD holds people in that condition, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, which would fit support for current screening with added safeguards; she rejects prolonged custody for them on low-level charges.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseBrooklyn Defender Services urges reforms on deaths in NYPD custody "without delay"
Brooklyn Defender Services
“These incidents underscore the urgent need for reform. Last year, we joined fellow public defenders, advocates, and impacted New Yorkers on the steps of City Hall to put forward a 10-point plan to address the crisis of deaths in or following NYPD custody. We again urge the Mamdani Administration to implement these commonsense reforms without delay.”Read statement
Mamdani's spokesperson says the city is "reviewing every stage of the process" after deaths in custody
“The safety of every person in custody is a top priority for the Mamdani administration ... We are reviewing every stage of the process, from arrest through arraignment, to identify any changes needed to protect the health and safety of everyone who enters the system.”Read statement
Public Advocate's office says the city "must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody"
“In a humane world, alleged shoplifting would not result in sudden death. We will continue to monitor the inquiry into Vincent Thoms' death in custody. With a new administration in place, the City must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody.”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Legal Aid's Amanda Jack says people in withdrawal "should not remain in prolonged police custody"
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/5312-amanda-jack-of-the-legal-aid-society-said
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Legal Aid's Amanda Jack says people in withdrawal "should not remain in prolonged police custody"". First published: 2026-10-09. Last updated: 2026-10-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/5312-amanda-jack-of-the-legal-aid-society-said