Bronx, NY — On July 24th, 29-year-old Julian Pagan was found unresponsive in his cell at the Bronx Hall of Justice, the same building where he had just been arraigned. Earlier that day, Julian spoke to his father and lawyer. Hours later his family was told he had died. Andre Easton, candidate for New York's 15th Congressional District, issued the following statement on August 7th:

“Last week, 29-year-old Julian Pagan died in city custody at the Bronx Hall of Justice.

“New York does not have the death penalty under state law. But mass incarceration itself is a death sentence. New Yorkers are dying before they ever see a courtroom.

“Pagan is at least the fifth person to die in NYC Department of Correction custody this year. Fifteen people died in DOC custody in 2025.

“We must redirect the billions propping up this deadly incarceration system into housing, healthcare, schools, jobs, and youth programs. That is what real public safety looks like.”