Hart Island Babies

MYFOXNY.COM - EXCLUSIVE: There are accusations that the city could have mishandled the burials of at least 1,000 babies.

It's a disturbing discovery made by a woman who has a passion for helping people find their loved ones.

Fox 5's John Deutzman has the story (video, left).

READ DEUTZMAN'S BLOG

Statement from Department of Correction Deputy Commissioner Stephen Morello:

For generations, the City Charter has assigned responsibility for operation and maintenance of the potter's field on Hart Island to the Department of Correction, and the Department has discharged that duty with dignity and compassion, helping every family who has come to it seeking a lost relative. It seems clear that any policy to allow unfettered public access to Hart Island would be in conflict with the security regulations which stem from the Department of Correction role and the presence of inmates working there. Anyone who wishes to see a different policy of access to Hart Island is welcome to pursue a charter amendment, at which time the Department of Correction will cede its responsibilities there.

Statement from Melinda Hunt, Hart Island Project:

Until recently, generations of New Yorkers grew up with access to Hart Island. While considered sad, it was not a secretive place until it became locked away within the prison system in 1976. While the Department of Correction claims that access must now be restricted for security reasons, young people on small boats frequent the abandoned buildings during the summer months and rummage through rooms full of prison documents. There are health records as recent as 1988 stored in open air, abandoned buildings. (see link below) The Department of Correction has simply not made maintaining documents or gravesites a priority. That is why we now have over one thousand infant burials missing. New Yorkers should ask Mayor Bloomberg to create a map of all intact graves using GPS technology in reference to date and plot information in the burial records. The press must be given access to verify plot locations. The City Council should review and update the Administrative Code that was written during World War II and last updated in 1953. New York City should allow reasonable public visitation to specific gravesites. The current system requires the parents of an infant to contact and enter the prison system. Upon arrival at City Island, parents have their cell phones and cameras confiscated. They are told that the grave of their child cannot be located. American citizens must have full knowledge of any tax funded burial or cremation process and access to public gravesites. Otherwise, people are simply buried in bureaucracy. That is what’s scary about Hart Island.

To learn more about the Hart Island Project, visit: HARTISLAND.NET.

To view the records, CLICK HERE.