Readers sound off on American incarceration, Elise Finch and co-op taxes

Manhattan: The crisis on Rikers Island continues, with six inmate deaths so far this year. My heart goes out to their families as my brain is flooded with memories of attempted suicides in jail after jail.

I remember in a D.C. jail that an inmate tried to commit suicide by setting his mattress on fire, and the correctional officers were in no hurry to save him. Smoke was pouring out of the cell and filling the lower tier. I was on the upper tier and I lay down on the floor with a T-shirt over my mouth and nose. Finally, the officers brought in a fire extinguisher. At New Jersey’s Morris County Jail, we had a seriously disturbed Vietnam veteran who had killed more than 100 Vietnamese, and I believe the souls of his victims were torturing him endlessly. He had no answer for why the war was necessary. We came back from chow one afternoon and found the concrete wall dripping with blood. He had been slamming his head against the wall. The guards could care less.

So what is the problem with closing Rikers Island and abolishing solitary confinement? Our society is drowning in violence, from corruption and out-of-control military aggression at the top to street-level crime, especially violence against women, at the bottom. Thoughtless decarceration is an extreme answer. The rage in the streets on display in 2020 has not been healed. Imagine the entire city in a state of uproar, the chronically unemployed former inmates with their weapons and the police and National Guard with machine guns, helicopters and sophisticated military equipment.

Rest in peace, Rubu Zhao (“Inmate leaps to death,” May 18), may your desperation not be swept under the rug! Felton Davis

Old Tappan, N.J.: Re “Jail can be secure and humane, everything Rikers isn’t,” (op-ed, July 16): The many issues brought forth by Glenn E. Martin are not only spot-on, but also applicable to the vast majority of American jails. Martin correctly states that “treating people badly makes them more violent” and that “treating individuals as less than human impedes their rehabilitation and perpetuates a cycle of criminality.” In New Jersey, the problems are similar within correctional facilities. The author speaks of a Norwegian model that includes individualized re-entry programs, access to necessary mental health treatment, even labor and employment training — items unfounded on either side of the Hudson River. While few jails in America rival Rikers for notoriety, this has become a nationwide problem, with some counties unable to afford desperately needed programs while others are simply too proud to spend money on what elected officials perceive as a lost cause. Dan Pfeiffer

West Hempstead, L.I.: The federal government cannot take care of their own prisons. Suicides, assaults, smuggling and non-human vermin like roaches and rodents are present in many, especially the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Let them look after their own system and stop trying to use Rikers and New York as a diversion from the headlines generated by the Biden administration and the obvious failures of the Justice Department to pursue justice without politics. Samuel Mark

Bronx: I can not express how in shock I am to learn of CBS New York meteorologist Elise Finch’s death. I usually have my coffee while watching the news. I loved how she gave the weather in such a warm and calming voice. I am reeling from this horrible news. I ask myself how could she deliver the weather on Friday, so alive, vibrant and beautiful, and be gone on Sunday? My condolences to all her family, friends and colleagues at CBS, and especially to her daughter Grace. My mother died when I was a child and the pain and confusion can haunt you for a lifetime. Just hold her and love that sweet little girl fiercely. Rest in sweet peace, dear Elise. We will never forget you. Pauline Graham Binder

Forked River, N.J.: I was watching CBS news from New York on Tuesday and was deeply saddened to hear that meteorologist Elise Finch had suddenly passed away. I could see how upset the anchors were as they fought through tears to talk about their dear friend and coworker. Elise was very involved in her community and held a master of science degree in journalism. Every day, we see journalists, meteorologists and sports reporters for just a few minutes on our TVs but we don’t see the real person behind the scenes. I was deeply touched by her coworkers talking about Elise’s love of her husband Craig and her biggest joy, her little girl Gracie. Elise Finch left this world far too early at 51. I would like to offer my deepest condolences to her husband, her little girl, her family and her coworkers, all of whom are still trying to process this sudden loss. Rest in peace, Elise. Jim Hughes

The Daily News Flash

Weekdays

Catch up on the day’s top five stories every weekday afternoon.

Bronx: Sending thoughts and prayers to Elise Finch and her family. I will miss her weather reports. She was “simply the best, better than all the rest.” Her reports were clear and understood. Rest in peace. Theresa DeFranco

Flushing: Florida Federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the Donald Trump documents case, is in Trump’s hip pocket and will likely aid him in stalling the trial until after the 2024 election. He belongs in jail and everyone knows it. The opposition better wake up and stop an attempt to help Trump get away with treason. Lester Simon

Ashburn, Va.: Former President Trump has stated an incontrovertible fact on his Truth Social podium and elsewhere, and we should all pay attention, particularly Trump’s supporters. He’s now claiming without any evidence whatsoever that President Biden uses cocaine. He repeated it again with right-wing commentat0r Wayne Allyn Root in a telephone interview Wednesday, July 12: “We can’t have a president who’s on cocaine when you’re dealing with nuclear weapons and everything else!” If we skip the totally contrived part about Biden using cocaine, and add a word to crystalize Trump’s central point, he does make an exceptionally valid point: We can’t have a president who’s delusional when you’re dealing with nuclear weapons and everything else. We should all think long and hard about that. Mike Barrett

Manhattan: Voicer Eric Cavaballo Callvado said Daniel Penny isn’t guilty of murder because he didn’t make “the decision when he woke up that morning that he was going to kill someone that day.” Does anyone believe it’s not manslaughter unless you made the decision by 7 a.m. that day? If I made the decision a mere five minutes before spotting someone on the train, is Callvado certain that would be “accidental,” as he says Penny’s murderous actions were? When you block someone’s airpipe for 15 minutes, that’s as deliberate as murder can be. Janice Amato

Astoria: I live in a co-op, not a rental. Our taxes are going to go up by 8% based on luxury rentals in our area while commercial properties only increased by 2%. Co-ops are probably the last affordable housing in the city. Our taxes went up to balance the mayor’s budget. Why are we paying the most? This money will go into the city’s budget so people who never contributed a dime in taxes can live off us. We are individual homeowners, not landlords renting out for profit. Homeowners have a cap on tax increases. We don’t. Wake up, co-ops need help to stay afloat. Anthony Gigantiello

Manhattan: Voicer J. Napoleone believes that everyone loves the carriage horse trade. But the only reason it exists is because of the uneven support of unions and politicians. The question people should be asking is how a tiny controversial business continues to exist when 71% of the public is against it — or why most of the City Council will not touch this issue. Sherry Reisch

Omaha: Even if they had signed Saquon Barkley, the Giants would have been in a bigger financial hole and cuts would have had to have been made. This way, we can continue correcting Dave Gettleman’s mistakes and go forward on stronger financial footing. Tom Dahulick