Inside ‘hellhole’ Brooklyn prison where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is locked up
The NYC facility, where Ghislaine Maxwell was famously detained, has seen a surge in tragedies over the years, with several judges refusing to send people there
Sean “Diddy” Combs is being held at Brooklyn's notorious federal lockup, which has been described as a “hellhole,” as he awaits trial. The 54-year-old rapper was arrested last week on multiple charges, including sex trafficking, sexual assault, violence and racketeering. Combs, who pleaded not guilty, was sent to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) on Tuesday after a judge denied his $50 million bail bid. His lawyers have since voiced concerns about the horrific conditions of the New York City jail.
Inside ‘hellhole’ Brooklyn lockup where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is locked up
The Brooklyn facility, where Ghislaine Maxwell was famously detained, has seen an upsurge in tragedies over the years, with several judges refusing to send people there, according to the Associated Press. Since his sex-trafficking arrest, Combs was placed on a suicide watch. In the motion for bail, his lawyers argued that the MDC was unfit for pre-trial detention due to unruly conditions. “Just earlier this summer, an inmate was murdered. At least four inmates have died by suicide there in the past three years,” Combs' lawyers wrote on Tuesday.
MDC, which holds about 1,600 inmates, has been plagued by problems since it opened in the 1990s. It is plagued with rat infestations and violent outbreaks. Maxwell, who was Jeffrey Epstein's aide, famously complained about the disgusting living conditions at the MDC. She bemoaned about sleep deprivation, rodents, and sewage stench in her cell. In addition to Maxwell, other high-profile inmates at the Brooklyn lock, which has been described as “hell on earth,” included R. Kelly and Sam Bankman-Fried.
In June, 37-year-old Uriel Whyte was stabbed to death at the MDC. A month later, Edwin Cordero, 36, died after being gravely injured in a prison fight. At the time, Cordero’s lawyer, Andrew Dalack, told The New York Times his client was just the victim of “an overcrowded, understaffed and neglected federal jail that is hell on earth.” While understaffing has been recognised as a constant issue at the NYC lockup, at least six of its staff members have been charged with crimes in the last five years.