Defense attorneys begged the judge of Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs’ case to allow him out on bail on a $50million bond.
But he was denied bail and sent to Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. Diddy’s attorney, in a letter, wrote: “Several courts in this District have recognized that the conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn are not fit for pre-trial detention. Just earlier this summer, an inmate was murdered.
“At least four inmates have died by suicide there in the past three years. Numerous Courts in this district have raised concerns with the horrific conditions of detention there.”
With many reports indicating that the prison was beyond repair, I set off to Industry City to see it myself. The trek down to the Hudson River featured dilapidated buildings and underfunded infrastructure in the neighborhood where the Metropolitan Detention Center is situated behind a highway bridge.
With the echo of speeding cars overhead, I found the walls in an ill-state with sections of concrete broken off from the walls and sidewalks damaged by uneven cracks. In stark contrast, the neighboring building featured pristine brick walls, well-manicured trees for decor, and paver stones to secure them. It was clear, especially given the workers painting away at marks, that, unlike the jail beside it, this building was given regular maintenance.
The same fate seemed untrue for MDC where stairs to doors were left damaged and weeds grew from between holes in the sidewalk. Trash littered the ground — an orange peel here, an empty box there, plenty of garbage rolling in the breeze. Secured metal doors were rusting as they displayed signs with staunch warnings such as a reminder that firearms and weapons were not welcome on its walls.
More rotting metal made up what appeared to be an abandoned guard post with no security officer in sight. Darkened glass made peering inside difficult, but with a quick squint and step closer, I could see some chairs. The empty building had drips of grime down its sides.
As for the inmates inside, they were blocked off from the world as windows were blacked out or bricked up. From the top of the poorly maintained building, a substance leaked down, oozing from the walls and leaving a white trail.
A white substance leaked down the building (
Alex West)
Advertisements were plastered across the building, seeming to beg for employees to join the jail’s team. Sam Mangel, a federal prison consultant, previously told The Mirror: “It’s tremendously understaffed. The physical plan is in abhorrent shape. So in addition to having issues with maintenance and the HVAC system and the water, and the toilets…and the mold issues because they’re so understaffed they simply don’t have the personnel or budget to fix it.”
This issue is a top priority for the Urgent Action Team which is comprised of senior officials from The Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to NBC. Despite seeing a 20 percent increase in correctional officers, there are reportedly still 157 vacant positions as it operates at 55 percent occupation of full staffing.
As if it was a final touch, greeting Diddy as he resides within the walls, one word was repeated, echoing across the area. “Love” was sprayed in graffiti on the nearby bridge and jail-facing walls of other buildings. Diddy, before his arrest, changed his middle name to Love and named his child after the word.
Mangel added: “He’s in hell … So there’s no peace and quiet just because you’re by yourself.”
Diddy has pleaded not guilty in court and vehemently denied all wrongdoing. The Mirror has contacted Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center for comment.