Found on YouTube: Former Inmate Says Riverside Jail "Did Something To Me"

After the New York Civil Liberties Union  detainees in federal court against Suffolk Countyclaiming that inhumane conditions at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead violate the constitutional rights of those detained there, readers have chimed in.

Here is a video found on YouTube of one inmate's personal recollections.

Citing a list of complaints - including overcrowding, raw sewage in sleeping areas and beyond, tainted drinking water, prolonged exposure to mold and vermin, and more - the lawsuit seeks to remedy conditions it cites as inhumane and award financial damages those exposed to the reported conditions.

“Nobody should be forced to live in the sickening conditions that exist in the Suffolk County jails,” said Amol Sinha, director of the NYCLU’s Suffolk County Chapter. “Raw sewage bubbles from floor drains, rodents and roaches infest the kitchens, black mold covers the showers – it shocks the conscience. That county officials have allowed such horrendous conditions to persist for years is simply shameful.”

In June,  the family of Arthur Thomas, 22, of Mastic Beach, because he choked to death before he could receive medical care after he was allegedly forced to lie down while trying to seek help from a corrections officer. 

Vanessa Baird-Streeter, media representative for Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Do you have an opinion about the conditions at Suffolk County Correctional facilities? We want to hear what you think in the comments section.