Three recent deaths – two of them apparent suicides – at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum-security women’s prison, have spurred a demand by state lawmakers for an investigation.
State Sen. Pete Harckham (D-South Salem) and state Assemblymember Chris Burdick (D-Bedford) sent a joint letter to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) expressing concern about the conditions and treatment of incarcerated individuals following the death of 60-year-old inmate Manuela Morgado.
Media reports identified Morgado as the Mamaroneck mother who was serving 20 years behind bars for smothering her 4-year-old son, Jake Reish, during a bitter custody battle 14 years ago. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Morgado was found dead in her cell on Wednesday, March 4.
The exact cause of death wasn’t available as this report was published online on Friday, March 6.
According to a report by New York Focus, prison advocates and people who are either currently or formerly incarcerated at Bedford Hills identified inmate Tracy Morales as the second suspected suicide.
The death of the third woman, Shamdai Arjun, was attributed to cervical cancer, according to an online obituary.
According to court records, in 2019 Arjun had been convicted of murder in the second degree and was sentenced to an indeterminate term of imprisonment of 22 years to life.
The legislators urged DOCCS to investigate the recent deaths and to “take appropriate action to prevent similar tragedies in the future.”
“A large percentage of the women incarcerated at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility suffer from mental health issues,” Burdick said Friday, March 6.
“This recent and alarming spate of apparent suicides is tragic, and what is most tragic is that they may have been preventable,” the legislator said, adding that there was “an urgent need for an independent, dispassionate investigation that delves into the quality of care for those suffering from mental illness, and whether there are conditions at BHCF that aggravate such illnesses.”
He said he thought the “investigation would best be performed by DOCCS.”
“The well-being of individuals within correctional facilities is the responsibility of the state government, and we must ensure that people in our custody are treated fairly and humanely,” Harckham said.
“Reports that individuals are being denied access to basic services and are confined to their cells for excessive periods are deeply troubling. I hope DOCCS will investigate these matters thoroughly so that we can identify solutions and prevent further tragedies,” he added.
The Correctional Association of New York has reported that suicides in state correctional facilities have increased in recent years.
According to Harckham and Burdick, the organization attributes part of the rise to staffing shortages related to last year’s correction officers’ strike, which has reduced access to medical and mental health services as well as recreational programming.
In December, the two met with members of the facility’s Incarcerated Liaison Committee (ILC).
While members of the committee echoed some of the concerns raised by the Correctional Association of New York, a nonprofit tasked with overseeing prison conditions, they also pointed to significant changes in their schedules and privileges following the arrival of a new deputy superintendent of security “as a factor contributing to declining mental health among incarcerated individuals,” they said.
According to a March 5 article by Rebecca McCray of New York Focus, the association claimed that it was “a concerning anomaly” to see three deaths in early 2026.
Between 2020 and 2025, there were reportedly a total of seven deaths at Bedford Hills, she reported.
Harckham and Burdick said that when they pressed facility administration about the complaints from the ILC, they were told that the measures were meant to be “temporary” and were only in response to recent violent outbursts from a small group of incarcerated individuals.
However, New York Focus indicated that these restrictions were still in place as of three weeks ago, they noted.
According to Harckham and Burdick, individuals are now required to sign up in advance for all out-of-cell services, including showers, kitchen access, phone calls and laundry.
These changes have resulted in incarcerated individuals spending significantly more time confined to their cells, they said.
The two also noted that the increased confinement and reduced access to services may be having a serious negative impact on the mental well-being of individuals at the facility.
DOCCS could not be reached by Halston Media for comment by press time.
However, DOCCS media contact Thomas Mailey told New York Focus that the deaths would be reviewed by the state Commission of Correction.
He told the media outlet that any death that appears to be from something other than natural causes is “thoroughly investigated” by both state police and DOCCS’ Office of Special Investigations.
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