Sunset Park Politician Hounds Feds for Answers on 'Third World' Neighborhood Jail

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — In a letter, Sunset Park Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez has asked the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC Brooklyn) to explain the conditions faced by female inmates inside the facility, after a June report issued by the National Association of Women Judges described the situation there as "unconscionable."

The report, based on observations made by four judges who visited 29th Street facility in March 2015 and June 2016, found 161 women being held in two rooms for 24 hours a day without access to exercise, "fresh air or sunlight." Of those inmates, approximately 111 had been transferred from a closed facility in Danbury, Connecticut.

According to the judges, inmates spoke of "spoiled and moldy" food, and described limited medical services, including a "lack of gynecology care." Furthermore, many allegedly appeared unaware of MDC programs focused on trauma and addiction.

The judges concluded that the prison's conditions "violate the [American Bar Association] Standards on Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners."

The New York Daily News reported that during an October hearing, Judge Cheryl L. Pollack said she was reluctant to send inmate Ana Espinal to the facility until its "third world" conditions were addressed. Pollack also ordered representatives from the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York to attend an Oct. 27 hearing to speak about the facility.

Both the DOJ's office and the Bureau of Prisons have declined to comment on MDC Brooklyn.

In her letter, Velázquez asked the BOP and MDC Brooklyn to answer five questions, including what the facility does to "inform female inmates about employment opportunities and other programs," what OB-GYN services are available to the inmates, and "what is the long term plan for the Brooklyn MDC facility to ensure improved air quality, adequate sunlight and exercise, in particular, for female inmates?"

“We have a responsibility to ensure our prisons and jails live up to humane standards and reports of moldy food, lack of light and poor air quality are alarming,” Velázquez said in a statement. “I hope to hear how these problems are being resolved, swiftly.”

The complete text of the letter is included below.

Dear Regional Director Carvajal and Warden Quay:

I am writing to highlight reports of alleged cultural and management issues at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, NY. The issues in question have been noted by the National Association of Women Judges’ (NAWJ) June 3, 2016 report. The most recent published account comes after the group’s previous visit on March 20, 2015 and summarized first-hand observations and inmate accounts.

At the time of the report’s publishing, the MDC in Brooklyn held 111 women who had been sentenced and transferred from the previous Danbury Correctional Facility in Danbury, CT. During their time at the Brooklyn MDC, these inmates helped expose the alleged dismal state of affairs at the facility. There were 161 women held at the MDC in two large, windowless rooms. It is my understanding that the transferred inmates may have not been properly oriented to the facility and its program offerings. The report cites a Female Program Overview brochure, which listed seven employment opportunities and 12 staff-led programs focusing on relevant topics such as drug abuse, psychology and trauma. Unfortunately, few female inmates expressed knowing about the existence of these opportunities.

Generally the female inmates, including those that have been transferred from the previous security complex, outlined the following conditions and concerns:

1. The provision of spoiled and moldy food to inmates;
2. Inadequate dissemination of employment and program offerings outlined in the “Female Program Overview;”
3. Lack of fresh air and sunshine;
4. Limited exercise opportunities;
5. Substandard building air quality, which has allegedly led to deteriorating interior conditions; and
6. Inadequate medical services, with a significant lack of obstetrical and gynecological (OB-GYN) services for women.

Such grievances have drawn the attention of Brooklyn Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak. The Judge has publically gone on record noting how uncomfortable she feels sending inmates to the Brooklyn MDC in light of the conditions reported by the NAWJ.

Given the alleged grievances about the physical and cultural state of affairs at Brooklyn MDC, I request that the Bureau provide answers to the following questions:

1. What efforts have been made at the Brooklyn MDC to inform female inmates about employment opportunities and other programs noted in the “Female Program Overview?”
2. Has the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) made any recent efforts to provide or improve access to OB-GYN services to inmates given the Brooklyn MDC’s claims that it cannot find physicians who are willing to work in a New York prison?
3. Given the shortage of available physicians, what strategies does BOP employ when handling similar situations at other MDCs?
4. Other than the aforementioned claim, are there any specific limitations that make it more difficult to provide this access to care at Brooklyn?
5. I understand that site limitations can be a concern for allowing inmates to move freely, but what is the long term plan for the Brooklyn MDC facility to ensure improved air quality, adequate sunlight and exercise, in particular, for female inmates?

I appreciate the BOP’s collective efforts to evaluate and remedy, to the best extent possible, these concerns. I look forward to corresponding with you and collaborating on these efforts going forward.

Sincerely,

Nydia M. Velázquez
Member of Congress

Pictured at top: MDC Brooklyn. Image via Google Maps.