INHUMANE

1,000 Inmates at Brooklyn Federal Jail Go Without Heat, Hot Water

Banged on windows to protest lack of electricity.

More than 1,000 inmates in a Brooklyn federal jail have gone without heat and hot water for days, lawyers say. Inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center and are enduring limited electricity since a fire broke out at the jail last weekend, according to the Federal Defenders. The legal aid organization also claims that jail officials have cancelled all visits from their families and attorneys, as well as recreational activities. The jail’s warden said through a spokeswoman that the facility had experienced a power outage on Saturday, but denied that heat and hot water weren’t working. The inmates have reportedly used flashlights to bang on their cell windows in protest of the conditions. Some 1,600 inmates are housed at the jail and they include defendants in high-profile terrorism and drug cases, as well as inmates facing more routine charges.