Tour a Brooklyn jail, no bail needed

whynot_31 · January 2012

cobblehillblog wrote: Admit it: you’ve long itched to take a tour inside that magnificent building at 275 Atlantic Avenue, between Boerum Place and Smith Street. Well, now you can do it next Saturday, February 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and it’s absolutely free.
The good news is brought to us by Community Board 2:
The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) invites the community to attend an open house at the Brooklyn Detention Complex, more commonly known at the Brooklyn House of Detention or the “House of D’.”

…
The open house in being held in advance of the phased re-opening of the House of Detention. Approximately 100 inmates per week will be transferred to the facility beginning in February. This will be an opportunity to meet Warden Walter Nin, ask questions and tour the facility.
To take advantage of this (we hope) once in a lifetime opportunity, please RSVP to Delilah Ortega in the DOC Department of Public Information at [email protected] or (718) 546-0631.

source: http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/6812

dailyheights · February 2012

Here's a photoset of the tour:

http://gothamist.com/2012/02/04/photos_tour_brooklyns_house_of_dete.php#photo-1

dailyheights · February 2012

When the Brooklyn House of Detention reopens next week after being closed since 2003, it may be the only city jail in America located down the block from a Barneys Co-op and a Trader Joe’s.

“The issue isn’t that there are prisoners; it’s that they will have visitors — and all of a sudden that could bring more foot traffic and crime,” said Lisa Goldfarb, who lives in one of the modern State Street town houses with her husband, Jack DeHovitz. She said their four children walked by the jail to get to school every day.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/nyregion/reopening-of-brooklyn-house-of-detention-worries-neighbors.html

whynot_31 · February 2012

On the tour, the officers explained that it connects to the nearby courthouse via a tunnel.

From their point of view, it was not their fault that a thriving upper middle class community developed around them, and now wanted them to not reopen.

An analogy can be drawn to an airport that is initially located in remote farmland. Fast forward a few decades and it is surrounded by neighbors complaining about noise.

The Corrections officers explained that they did everything they could to address the concerns of the community, but (make no mistake about it) we will begin to fill this place with prisoners on Monday, Feb 6, 2012.

Several members of the tour I was on stated that they worked in fields that have to regularly overcome pitched community opposition to their work (mental health, sanitation, police, etc.), and made a point to congratulate the Department of Corrections on their achievement.

The Asst Commissioner of Corrections, the head of the Fraternal Order of the Police, and lots of other big wigs were there to meet the public.

Tour a Brooklyn jail, no bail needed

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