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NY Medical Examiner: Layleen Polanco Died of Epilepsy in Solitary Cell

HeadlineAug 01, 2019

New York City’s medical examiner has ruled that Layleen Polanco, a transgender Afro-Latinx woman who was found dead in a jail cell at Rikers Island in June, died of complications from epilepsy. Polanco was arrested in April on misdemeanor charges and jailed for two months after she was unable to post $500 bail. She was found dead in a solitary confinement cell in early June. In a statement, the Epilepsy Foundation wrote, “Layleen Polanco’s death is an absolute tragedy, and her passing further underscores the dangers of solitary confinement, which isolates already medically fragile people from observation and care.” Click here to see our coverage of Layleen Polanco’s case.

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