A transgender Rikers inmate raped a female prisoner while in the women’s section of the jail and has been sentenced to seven years, officials said Monday.
Ramel Blount, 33, who goes by Diamond Blount, pleaded guilty to attempted rape April 7 in an apparent plea deal.
Investigators said Blount — who was housed in the female section of the facility — approached a 33-year-old female inmate in the bathroom at the Rose M. Singer center Feb. 8, 2021, after the victim had just finished showering.
Blount held the victim down by the back of her neck and raped her, investigators said. The victim reported the incident to jail officials, and a rape kit was administered, which matched Blount’s DNA in the New York State Registry.
Blount received a seven-year prison sentence with an additional eight years of post-release supervision. An order of protection was issued, and Blount must also register as a sex offender.
“Sexual violence against anyone is unacceptable,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement.
Meanwhile, violence continues to plague the notorious Rikers facility. Federal prosecutors have threatened to request that the Department of Correction be taken over by an independent body if the agency doesn’t improve conditions at the city-run jail.
Last year 16 people died in DOC custody — more than in 2019 and 2020 combined and the most fatalities since 2016. The DOC has reported three deaths so far this year.
Last week, Mayor Eric Adams begged New Yorkers to give him a “chance” to fix the situation at the 10-facility jail complex, which is home to more than 5,000 inmates.
DOC Commissioner Louis Molina promised to bring safety and order back to Rikers after he was appointed by Adams, but jailhouse sources told The Post chaos and violence is still running rampant.
More than 1,000 weapons have been recovered since Molina has ramped up search operations again at the start of his tenure, the DOC said.
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