Behind Closed Bars: The Alcaraz Tragedy Exposes Systemic Failures in New York Prisons The recent incident of a man being burned alive in his prison cell at Eastern NY Correctional Facility has sparked little outrage, despite the horrific circumstances.
This lack of attention is all too familiar when it comes to prison related tragedies. In July, Marcos "Bori" Alcaraz's cell ignited in the early hours of a Saturday morning.
No smoke alarms sounded, and no immediate response came from prison staff. It took over 30 minutes for someone to notice his plight, by which time it was too late. Alcaraz suffered severe burns covering half his body.