2 Milly told the New York Daily News that two units at Rikers Island were left unattended after correction officers failed to show up for more than 24 hours earlier this week, leaving the inmates to take up various administrative tasks.
“We are really running the dorm by ourselves. I’ve never seen anything like this,” 2 Milly, born Terrance Ferguson, said. “I’ve been answering the phones.” Others have assisted with arranging transportation to court and setting up for video conferences. While Department of Correction officials wouldn’t confirm the rapper’s claim, they did acknowledge the jail’s personnel shortage issues.
Officials said about 3,500 of the 8,500 officers working at Rikers have either called out sick or received a medical exemption in July, with another 2,300 not even coming into work. A source claims these instances are commonplace, but also contribute to the facility running improperly.
2 Milly, whose been serving time on a gun charge since late July, has documented his less than satisfactory experiences in Rikers Island. Milly revealed he spent several days without brushing his teeth or taking a shower because of a lack of running water, and alleges an insufficient amount of beds forced some people to sleep on the floor.
The poor circumstances, along with grueling hours and staff shortages, have inmates, Milly included, feeling bad for the guards. “The officers are losing their minds,” he told the New York Daily News. “It’s the same guard for 24 hours. They’re sweating bullets, not getting meal breaks. I start feeling bad for them after a while.”
