New York's Rikers Island has long had a reputation for unsanitary conditions and violence but it is facing arguably its most intense scrutiny ever following 20 deaths at the jail in the past 18 months. Lezandre Khadu's son, Stephan, passed away there from meningitis. "My son died because of an inhumane system," she says, "he would have still been here if they would have just cared".

Interested in licensing this video ? Get in touch 👉 http://u.afp.com/UBbQ
N.B.: AFP’s services and content are for professional use only