Rikers Island is an island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx that contains New York City's troubled main jail complex where 19 people have died so far in 2022.

Spread across several facilities, thousands of men and women are incarcerated on the infamous island just northeast of Manhattan.

The New York Times reported that 2022 is on track to be the deadliest year since 2013 – when about twice as many people were incarcerated on the island.

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Of the 19 deaths, the publication reported that seven people are suspected, or confirmed, to have died by suicide.

Drug overdoses, or suspected overdoses, make up five of the victims, while one man even died as a result of choking on an orange.

Herman Diaz, 52, died on March 18 in the Eric M. Taylor Center on the island, having been arrested the month previously.

The city Board of Correction reported that Mr Diaz choked on an orange and was not assisted by a correction officer on duty.

The report stated the officer was on "modified duty" and not permitted to interact directly with people in custody.

Mr Diaz was carried to the medical clinic by other detainees before he was pronounced dead 40 minutes after he began choking.

Just the day before Mr Diaz died, George Pagan, 48, had to be lifted by fellow prisoners to receive medical care.

Having been arrested just eight days previously, Mr Pagan died of sepsis, complicated by substance use and H.I.V. infection.

Tarz Youngblood, 38, was also carried to medical help by prisoners before dying.

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Michael Nieves slit his throat with a razor in front of officers who reportedly failed to act for 10 minutes before he died.

Anibal Carrasquillo, 39, died in June of a suspected overdose after being arrested in September on charges including robbery, drug possession and assault.

Mr Carrasquillo’s wife, Sheniqua Bryant Carrasquillo, 31, slammed New York City officials, saying: “He was in your custody. He should have been protected, and he wasn’t.”

It is a damning review of the apparent lack of care in the facilities where one inmate reportedly sat in his own poo for 11 hours in the intake centre before being given new clothes.

Images were shown to Manhattan, New York, prosecutors by the Board of Correction last month – detailing the nightmare prisoners there have to live with.

Around 200 to 300 prosecutors were shown the images, according to the New York Post.

There were also images of unresponsive detainees being carried downstairs and across hallways by fellow inmates to try and get them help.

In a startling video, an inmate is seen being given first aid by fellow inmates following a suspected overdose.

Damaged infrastructure, empty exercise yards and rotten food also featured in the slideshow.

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