Reference no: EM131621300

Violence at Rikers Island, a New York City prison on an island in the East River, has risen to epidemic proportions over the past five years. During the first four months in 2014 alone, a dozen prisoners suffered injuries that resulted from stab wounds and cuts, while prisoners and guards underwent treatment for broken bones, concussions, and punctured eardrums, among many other similar injuries. Reports indicate that, while the population of the prison has fallen by 15 percent since 2004, the use of force by guards has risen 240 percent over that same period. Two prisoners, one who sustained extensive injuries to his neck and back and another who has back problems and a broken nose, have filled separate lawsuits naming the City of New York as defendant. Both inmates allege that their injuries resulted from beatings conducted by correction officers at Rikers. Using your knowledge of tort law, list and explain those torts that might form the basis of these lawsuits.