Brooklyn inmates living in cold cells in prison without electricity



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Federal officials said the repair work at the Metropolitan Detention Center would not be completed until Monday.

An American representative who visited the facility on Saturday told CNN's affiliate, WPIX, that the temperature was as low as 49 degrees Celsius. detention center.

"The heat is sporadic and uneven," Nydia Velázquez told the station.

This is a difficult situation for more than a day, Patton said.

"The lighting is not lit.The cells are all locked since Thursday night.This lasts at least 36 hours.When the sun goes down, it is dark night. have health problems can not read the instructions regarding drugs, "said Patton.

Protesters gathered outside the building on Saturday. Some carried placards with the words "Close It", "MDC Torture" and other sayings.

Gabriel Pedreira, an organizer of the local branch of the American Federation of Government Employees, said he was concerned about the health and safety of employees, who are "forced to work in very cold weather".

Pedreira said federal prison officers work while wearing hats, coats and scarves

The National Meteorological Service said the temperature had reached teens that night. On Sunday, the minimum will be around 30 degrees and the maximum should be in the lower half of the quarantine. The low Monday morning will be in the upper 30s.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter that the city would send hundreds of blankets and handwarmers to the center of New York City. detention and that generators would be made available. "We informed the Federal Bureau of Prisons that the supplies would arrive," added the mayor.

The Prisons Office said that the facility had a fire in the room housing electrical switches and that one of the two buildings was out of power. A new electrical panel has been installed but crews need to restore power.

The buildings have emergency lighting, said spokeswoman Valery Logan.

She stated that the inmates had hot water in their sinks and showers.

Bob McGee, a spokesman for power utility Con Edison, said he was ready to restore power once the repairs were completed.

"It is unacceptable, illegal and inhuman to detain people without basic services, access to a lawyer, or medical care," New York Attorney General Letitia A. James said in a statement. "The conditions reported to the Metropolitan Detention Center are appalling, prisoners and detainees have rights, and these rights must be respected.Our office is in contact with legal service providers and inmate lawyers and is closely monitoring this situation. extremely worrying. "

The center is home to 1,654 inmates. According to the BOP website, "these (facilities) are institutions with special missions, such as the detention of offenders awaiting trial, the treatment of prisoners with serious or chronic medical problems or the confinement of extremely dangerous prisoners. , violent or likely to flee. "

Julia Jones of CNN contributed to this report.

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