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Officials Ignored Longstanding Heating Issues At Freezing Brooklyn Jail, DOJ Investigation Finds
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 26, 2019
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KATHY WILLENS/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 26, 2019
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Detainees at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were left freezing on one the coldest weeks of the year because of an ongoing equipment failure, which jail officials were aware of but failed to address, according to a federal investigation.
A report released Thursday by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General confirmed "significant heating issues" at the federal facility between January 27th and February 3rd, as temperatures plunged into the single digits. Those conditions were not related to a fire that knocked out power for much of the building, as initially suspected, the report states.
Instead, the frigid temperatures are believed to have been caused by "long-standing unaddressed temperature regulation issues," related to the absence of a Building Management System. Investigators said they were unable to determine just how cold it got in the jail cells, and how long the heating problems lasted, "due to the absence of reliable temperature measuring methods at MDC Brooklyn."
The power outages and heating issues sparked national outcry earlier this year, as reports spread of detainees shivering in the dark, cut off from medical supplies, hot food, and most outside communication. Warden Herman Quay initially downplayed the situation, blaming the electrical issue on Con Edison while claiming that none of the units were without heat and hot water.
The actual conditions were only uncovered after detainees were able to speak with their attorneys. Public defenders subsequently sued in federal court, alleging a "humanitarian crisis" inside the 1,600 person facility, as did two detainees who said they were denied medication.
According to the Inspector General, the jail officials "did not provide federal judges or administrative staff...with proactive information about the conditions at MDC Brooklyn."
Warden Quay has since been promoted, and is currently overseeing three federal prisons in Allenwood, Pennsylvania with a combined population of 3,400 people.
The report also details a host of mitigating factors that heightened the challenges inside the freezing jail. Exterior cell walls next to jail beds were found to be significantly colder than the ambient air temperature, while high speed air flows coming out of the vents made it "difficult for inmates to avoid exposure to fast moving air," according to the report.
Confirming what detainees initially reported, investigators found that cold-weather clothing, such as thermal underwear or sweat suits, is not standard-issue at the federal jail.
"Only those inmates who earn money from prison jobs or have friends and family members who contribute to their commissary account were able to make those purchases," the report found. "Those that could not afford to do so, or had not done so, were limited to MDC Brooklyn’s standard-issue short sleeve jumpsuit and T-shirts.
The report closes with a list of recommendations for the facility, such as making upgrades to its heating, ventilation and cool equipment, and improving its communication with outside parties during emergencies.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said that the agency "agrees with the recommendations and looks forward to implementing them."
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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