A jail oversight board has found that New York City correction officers repeatedly blocked medical staff from administering care to a 23-year-old woman at Rikers Island weeks before her death. Charizma Jones was receiving treatment for a possible case of scarlet fever when she was transferred to an infirmary unit May 4 for worsening symptoms. But when medical personnel tried to check her vital signs, they were stopped from entering her cell on six occasions. An investigation by the board found that correction officers cited security issues. An attorney for Jones says the staffers' actions were illegal and morally repugnant. A jails spokesperson declined to comment.
