10 signatures reached
To: Gov. Kathy Hochul, Federal Bureau of Prisons, US Department of Justice
End the Inhumane Lockdowns at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn
Since the onset of the pandemic, individuals at the MDC Brooklyn have been on a near-constant lockdown; often only let out of their cells for 20 or 30 minutes every few days, deprived of showers, phone access, and hot meals. These lockdowns are allegedly necessary in order to stop contraband from entering the facility, but since last fall, two MDC employees have been arrested for bringing in contraband. It has also been alleged that these lockdowns are due to federal staffing shortages. Gov. Kathy Hochul needs to open her eyes to the human impact of rolling back bail reforms in favor of long-term pretrial detention. Additionally, the US Justice Dept needs to increase the budget for the FBOP so that these facilities can be properly staffed, ensuring the safety of both staff and detainees.
Why is this important?
MDC Brooklyn is a pretrial detention facility and so the majority of its inhabitants are innocent under the eyes of the law. These conditions mimic those of solitary confinement - which is a violation of the United Nations Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners - and the long-term psychological and physical impact will follow around these individuals for the rest of their lives.