Brooklyn Prison: protest against power or heat failure

Friends and relatives of detainees held in cells without electricity or heat in a New York prison have demonstrated against their conditions of detention.

Protesters in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn, chanted: "Where is the heat"?

Many inmates have not been able to contact the outside world for several days, as a result of a partial power outage.

Congressmen who went to prison Saturday described the situation as a "nightmare".

"It's like living in a closet without light," said representative Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat whose neighborhood includes prison.

She stated that the temperature in some cells was as low as possible. 49F (9.5C).

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Jerrold Nadler, another US member of the House of Representatives in New York, condemned the "total lack of urgency and concern" of the authorities.

He told the crowd in front of the prison – which houses more than 1,600 inmates – that he was unlikely to be reinstated until Monday.

Protesters carried placards stating "Shut Up", "MDC Torture", "United in Indignation" and "Climb Heat".

A tweet that prisoners were banging on the windows as protesters gathered outside.

What do the authorities say?

The authorities claim that the failure is the result of a fire that destroyed an electrical panel. The fire melted a switch designed to turn on a backup generator.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons said that the officials "were working to restore the current as quickly as possible", adding: "The detainees have hot water for the showers and the hot water the sinks in the cell.Personal hygiene items and essential medical services are always provided. "

The office also said that the building was equipped with emergency lighting.

In a tweet late Saturday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned federal authorities and said the city provided blankets for prisoners.