WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES NOVEMBER 15, 2018 3
Holden seeks probe of nonprofi t for bailing out ‘violent’ teen
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BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
ADOMENECH@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
Councilman Robert Holden called
on the City Council to investigate
the nonprofi t Robert F. Kennedy
Human Rights organization for
helping to secure the release of a teen
accused of attacking a Rikers Island
guard on Nov. 7.
Rickeem Parker, 18, was caught on
video attacking Rikers Island guard
Bronoski Jean-Phillippe on Oct. 5 inside
of the Robert N. Davoren Center
which houses young adult male detainees
at Rikers Island.
“It seems like it’s open season on correction
offi cers and there a multiple
problems with this case,” said Holden.
A week after the attack, Holden
said, Robert F. Kennedy Human
Rights — named for the late former
U.S. attorney general and New York
senator — posted Parker’s $1,500 bail,
despite his eight prior arrests for
assault, robbery, fraud and weapons
possession. The teen was being held
for a Sept. 19 assault.
On Sept. 18, the nonprofit announced
their eff ort to promote jail
reform, the large-scale Mass Bail Out
Action. According to the nonprofi t’s
website, the eff ort is an attempt to help
incarcerated women and young people
who can not aff ord to post bail at the
Rose M. Singer Center and the Robert
N. Davore Center at Rikers Island.
The nonprofit’s Mass Bail Out
Action — which began Oct.1 and only
lasted until the end of the month—
is an eff ort to mitigate a cash-bail
system that many prison reform
advocates believe disproportionately
punishes the poor
“We were told originally that the RFK
Foundation would focus on nonviolent
women and minors, which clearly
should not apply in this case,” said
Holden in a statement. “Bailing out this
criminal was utterly irresponsible, and
I’m calling on the City Council to hold
an oversight hearing to investigate the
RFK Foundation and the bail system as
a whole. Why wasn’t Parker charged
with another assault for this attack?”
According to a representative from Holden’s
office, Holden will be delivering a letter
to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice
signed by several other Council members
seeking the probe. The Middle Village
based lawmaker also plans to seek an
inquiry from the Department of Correction.
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
organization did not immediately respond
to a request for comment from
the Ridgewood Times.
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