The recent death of Riker’s Island inmate Christopher Robinson has brought to light the brutality of the New York City penal system. Bad people do bad things. The deceased had been remanded to custody for a string of robberies. While in a single cell, three other prisoner entered his cell to give him a behavioral beating. He died soon thereafter. Correctional officers were accused of having sent in these thugs to enforce ‘the program’. Several have been assigned to desk duty pending investigation.

Most pro-punishment advocates say the inmates get everything they deserve.

If you do the crime, then you do the time.

I believe that bad people shouldn’t be on the street, but the judge said nothing about after-hours death sentences and no matter what we are supposed to protect every member of this society or else we can protect no one.

Of course we are exiting the era of Constitutional suspension.

No habeus corpus. No warrants for search or seizure. Everyone is guilty.

Everyone.

Of something.

Always.

And does your crime warrant a beating to death.

I certainly don’t think that decision should rest with sadistic lazy-ass COs.

Not in this USA.

At times contrite, at times defiant, Correction Commissioner Martin Horn broke his silence Monday about the beating death of a young inmate on Rikers Island.

Testifying before City Council members about youth violence in city jails, he called the Oct. 18 slaying of Christopher Robinson, 18, “a great tragedy.”

“We are eager to get to the bottom of this case not only to bring to justice those who are responsible but also to understand the circumstances of his death and so try to prevent future deaths,” he said.

Inmates told Robinson’s mom guards let at least three young men assault her son. Two Rikers correction officers were put on desk duty because of the attack. The Bronx district attorney’s office is investigating.