Norman Seabrook, whose corrupt reign as head of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association ended with a prison sentence, wants to serve his nearly five-year bit at home because of concerns over COVID-19.
Seabrook, 60, is at high risk of contracting the coronavirus because of his age and should be allowed to serve his time at home, or else see his prison start-date postponed until a vaccine is available, his attorney argued in court papers last week.
Seabrook, who headed the powerful correction officers union more than two decades, and helped instill a culture of violence and corruption on Rikers Island, was convicted on bribery and conspiracy charges related to kickbacks he accepted.
He is due to turn himself in and begin his sentence at the end of December.
Kevin Deutsch is a Staff Writer for Bronx Justice News covering the criminal justice system, drugs, and DNA use by law enforcement. An award-winning journalist, Deutsch is the author of the true crime books "Pill City" and "The Triangle." He has worked on staff at the Daily News, Miami Herald, Newsday, The Palm Beach Post, and The Riverdale Press. His work has also appeared in Newsweek, Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Forward, The Independent, Huffington Post, Orlando Sentinel, and the New York Post, among other publications. His numerous television appearances include spots on CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN's BookTV. He has also been featured in The New Yorker. A Bronx resident, Deutsch hosts the true crime podcast "A Dark Turn" on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.
