Fighting to prevent Sean “Diddy” Combs from going to jail after his arrest for sex trafficking, his legal team raised concerns about the deplorable conditions of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where he was being sent. The facility has a reputation for being a place of rampant violence, dire conditions, and multiple deaths, earning labels such as “hell on earth” and an “ongoing tragedy.”
Sean Combs, aged 54, was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after pleading not guilty to charges of physically and sexually abusing women over a decade. The federal lockup has a history of issues dating back to its opening in the 1990s. Notorious inmates like R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Michael Cohen have also been housed in this facility.
Combs had anticipated being released on bail and had accommodations at a lavish Manhattan hotel costing $1,500 per night. His lawyers even attempted to offer his $48 million Miami Beach mansion as collateral for his release. The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he was eventually held, is the only federal jail in New York City.
MDC Brooklyn, as the facility is known, serves as a federal jail for individuals awaiting trial in federal courts in Manhattan or Brooklyn who are either denied bail or are ineligible for release. It also accommodates those serving short sentences after convictions. Amid numerous complaints, judges have been hesitant to send individuals to this facility, where detainees highlight appalling conditions, frequent lockdowns, and restricted access to basic necessities.
The Bureau of Prisons shut down the crumbling Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan in 2021, leaving MDC Brooklyn as the sole federal facility in the city. MDC Brooklyn has been plagued by reports of violence, harsh conditions, inadequate staffing, and contraband smuggling facilitated by employees. Several inmates have died, either by suicide or due to violence within the facility.
Judges and advocates have denounced the dire conditions at MDC Brooklyn, with some opting to avoid sending defendants to the facility or granting reduced sentences due to the challenges faced by detainees there. In response to mounting criticism, the Bureau of Prisons announced a temporary halt on sending convicted individuals to serve their sentences at MDC Brooklyn.
Combs is just one of the many high-profile individuals who have been detained at MDC Brooklyn, joining the ranks of other celebrities like R. Kelly and Ghislaine Maxwell. The closure of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan in 2021, following a series of problems, forced detainees to be relocated to MDC Brooklyn or a federal prison in upstate New York.
Combs’ legal team argued against his detention at MDC Brooklyn, emphasizing the unsuitability of the facility for pretrial detainees. Manhattan-based U.S. Attorney Damian Williams expressed concern for the safety of all detainees, regardless of their profile, citing ongoing efforts to ensure safety within federal detention facilities. Concerns about the Bureau of Prisons’ overall operation have been raised, with reports of escapes, violence, deaths, and staffing shortages that have hindered emergency responses.