Parole Facility Planned Next Door to St. Ann's School

Is this even legal? There are extra-strong laws about selling drugs in school zones but none about purposefully putting drug dealers and murderers in close proximity to children? Shameful.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:07 AM

So since this is Federal parolees - (not your state court mugger, rapist, child molester cases) -
where there is lots of white collar crime - maybe they are trying to make it easier for the Wall St types to check in with the parole officer.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:09 AM

Highly unlikely that FEDERAL parolees include sex offenders--only the Mann Act (interstate transport of women for immoral purposes). And this is the Eastern District, which doesn't include Wall St, so it's not going to be securities fraud in general.

These will mostly be drug dealers/transporters--many picked up at the airports.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:20 AM

I suggest they put the CH men's homeless shelter here as well.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:23 AM

could you imagine paying all that money, dutifully filling out forms, standing on waiting lists so your children can attend St Anns and then this happens.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:24 AM

Time to call St. Ann's and ask for the "Parole discount."

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:30 AM

Eastern District encompasses Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island. Manhattan. Manhattan and the Bronx fall under the Southern District.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:34 AM

Unbelievable; it is almost like there is a group conspiring to ruin all of the progress made over the last 10 years or so...jails, large parole offices, etc. Of course this is NIMBYism at its finest, but is this really the proper place for a parole office...in the middle of a school? ...this would be absurd in any family neighborhood.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:38 AM

What's a "family neighborhood."?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:44 AM

Federal offenses ordinarily are prosecuted in the district in which they occur.

Eastern District of NY includes Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk, I think. Main courthouse and prosecutors' office is on Cadman Plaza, with satellite offices on the Island. I think, and I may be wrong or out of date, that the vast bulk of the volume in the Eastern District is drug related.

Manhattan is in the Southern District. Main courthouse is in Foley Square, with the US attorney's office and jail right behind it.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:44 AM

Parole offices shouldn't be anywhere near schools. Whoever thought this was a good idea should be fired. If most of the parolees are white collar offenders, why not stick this into office space in a typical 9-5 district, so they could easily go to work?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:44 AM

The court house is right across Cadman Plaza, so this is a natural place to put it.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:46 AM

Most of the St. Ann's kids will go on to become parolees in the future anyway.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:50 AM

please, the high school kids who want access to drugs already have it, this facility has no bearing on that matter.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 9:51 AM

I'm not entirely against this facility since I believe that as a society we need to bear the burden of all of our members, including those who commit crimes. For full disclosure, I am closely connected to both St. Ann's and Brooklyn Heights.

All the St. Ann's parents or residents of Brooklyn Heights that support the "Stop the Jail" movement (to prevent the Brooklyn House of Detention from being put into use again) should reconsider their priorities.

The BHoD SHOULD be reopened for many reasons (albeit with changes) - from decreasing the cost of daily travel to/from Rikers, to easing the overcrowding issues, to a case like this, where space for a parole facility would not be difficult to accommodate.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:08 AM

HA HA HA HAaaaaaa

A parole office next to St Ann's School! With armed guards!! You can't make this stuff up.
What is the BHA up to? Fighting for the protection of heritage roses on Garden Place?
Lobbying to have the street parking in the neighborhood limited to Caucasians only?
Too funny. I think an emergency meeting will need to be called at the Episcopal church of East Hampton to discuss this latest kerfuffle.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:12 AM

The ad hominem attacks against school kids don't really have a place in this discussion.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:14 AM

great news!

keep bkln gritty!

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:14 AM

You people are so knee-jerk and so easily manipulated. A bit of sensationalism and you all bite. For what I would think is a pretty well educated crowd you really can overreact to anything.
The damned court houses are across the street with plenty of 'armed guards' and potentially dangerous criminals. And the street is filled with all the court personnel. If St. Ann's school ever thought it was a threat - why is there school down there?
FCS - lots of places have 'armed guards' - even schools already.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:16 AM

This should be seen as a real convenience to the former hedge fund managers who need to check in with their PO once a day.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:17 AM

WonTon has the best posting.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:21 AM

Mr. B, would you please refrain from saying "on the jump"? It's embarrassing.

Thanks.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:23 AM

While I agree that this discussion is no place for ad hominem attacks against schoolkids, I will say as a Saint Anns Alum that most of these "attacks" (read: Jokes) are pretty funny if a little obvious. Unfortunately, I think the joint has gone much more straight laced in the past 5 years and having guys who just got out of the actual joint is going to bother them a lot more than it would have back in the Bosworthian, freewheeling days. In my day they would have sent us over there to do interviews with parolees for our creative writing seminars.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:27 AM

"I suggest they put the CH men's homeless shelter here as well."

Agreed. Crown Heights is too dangerous. It's really too dangerous for habitation of any kind.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:29 AM

This is terrible. Those parolees are just trying to get lives together, who will protect them from the St Ann students?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:30 AM

I don't mind this too much and I live on Pierrepont. We have lots of prisoners around here -- have a court house and you get prisoners. Saw a guy shuffled off if cuffs yesterday from a facility on Pierrepont/Clinton into a car.

But I do think the traffic situation on this block is around at the breaking point. St Ann's buses on Pierrepont, St Ann's parents and their SUVs on Pierrepont, bull shit placard parking on Pierrepont/Monroe/Clinton and the cab traffic on Clinton. It's too much

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:34 AM

The scariest place I have ever been was visiting a dx at LICH in Carroll Gardens. They treat current convicted criminals I guess. Even with 2 armed guards I felt like I was in an elevator with Hanibal Lector. But that said there are an awful lot of people out on our streets, even in fine "family neighborhoods" (whatever that is) that have criminal records. Much more than anybody can imagine. This is a problem that exists everywhere in NYC. And it's only going to get worse. There is a huge percentage of young men locked up. They eventually get out. And then what is there for them to do in NYC when they have trouble getting a job? Cause trouble or hang out and live at a relative's are the easy options.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:47 AM

Let's see.. In the mid-80s, I found an ounce of pot in the 10th floor music room. In the 90s,20% of the kids dealt drugs. There were gangs on montague st, and panhandlers outside everywhere.
The ENTIRE soccer team got mugged /robbed at the projects.

It is half a block between the two buildings, and St ann's has guards at both of them. Total non-issue, and if anything, it will knock off some of the sense of entitlement

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 10:59 AM

Hmph. A St Ann's alum should know better. Strait-laced, not straight laced. From strait=tight, referring to an tight corset holding the wearer upright, not unfashionable sneakers.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:05 AM

St Ann's has classes IN that building.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:06 AM

Now the kids who smoke on the steps of the Appellate Division on Monroe St will be able to flout authority even closer to home.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:08 AM

The armed guards are the really scary part. Parolees at least are under supervision. Men with guns near all those kids -- that's something to worry about.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:12 AM

St Ann's can offer English as a Second language to the former drug smugglers. They can also probably get useful tips from the students on how to look innocent while carrying a ton of illegal substances.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:16 AM

the st ann's guards don't have guns.

but I'm laughing so hard at the idea of a whole TEAM of strong young white guys getting held up. also laughing at an idea of an OUNCE of pot! oh my!

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:20 AM

All of those faci.ities have recessed lighting. They are still installing it.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:23 AM

How often does a parolee have to check-in in person anyway? Once a month? I doubt even that. I mean it seems to me that "serving 1700 parolees" means it's offices for a bunch of parole officers in cubicles working the phones. MAYBE there would be 20 parolees in there a day?

I suspect the armed guards are to protect the officers from someone coming in in a bad mood. A really really bad mood.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:29 AM

Enough trash talking please - this is really a serious issue. What can be done?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:31 AM

Excuse me, but "Ad Hominem" is a specific attack against a *specific person*. People are taking the piss out of generalities. Anyway, it would be ad puerem or ad puellam, since we are talking kiddies. I would have thought Brownstoner readers would know better. More evidence of the deterioration of this site.

Well, all I have to say is that it will make that tiny stretch of DeKalb across from Junior's less sketchy to walk down, since the parolees that congregate outside the current facility are not particularly congenial. Or maybe that's a Kings County facility there.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:38 AM

Many of the parolees wil be Latin.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:52 AM

re:"Enough trash talking please - this is really a serious issue. What can be done?"
this is not a serious issue at all. It is hype and superficial nonsense and hysteria over absolutely nothing - but easy to accomplish with this crowd.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:53 AM

Much less funny, bxidiot, are the large number of people who've proven me right....with their lives.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:54 AM

Tip 1 for looking innocent while carrying illegal substances: Be blond and upper middle class.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:05 PM

St Ann's absolutely teaches Latin. Greek too.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:05 PM

And corset building.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:08 PM

There goes fsrq again, using facts and reason (at 11:44). Where does s/he get off with that sh!t?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:12 PM

Fugly architecture. Where are the half-balconies?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:13 PM

You can hide a ton of weed in a corset, especially if you know how to strait-lace.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:15 PM

9:53 – If you’re talking about the clinic in CH, I have never had a problem with anyone that clinic. I had one person, who looked to be a patient, ask me where it is and I was glad to help. I bet you the majority of the people in CH don’t even know its there. Addiction is not a crime, it’s a disease. Not treating it and throwing people into the penal system (where apparently drugs are just as easy to procure) for their addiction is a crime. The costs of treating an addict in a clinic vs. the cost of imprisoning him/her are significantly less, maybe if our asshat politicians knew this we wouldn't have overcrowding in our prison systems.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:16 PM

This is not a serious issue? Really? What is? Fedders units vs. central AC? Ceiling heights?
Next time you are trying to gather an angry mob to protest an ugly building going up on your block, don't look to me to get out my pitchfork.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 12:56 PM

this isnt' really a serious issue since they are moving just two blocks down. and they'd been at the previous location (around the corner from Packer) for decades without incident

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 1:07 PM

They're on parole. That means they are walking among you already.

Also, isn't within 50 feet of the parole office about the LAST place anyone would committ a crime?

frsq -- Forest City Ratner could have a say IF the proposed use would violate the terms of the lease. They couldn't use the building as an actual jail, in other words. But, the fact that this is probably consistent with the DOJ's lease is, itself, evidence that there's nothing to worry about.

Plus, anyone who DOES freak out at the mere presence of a parole office DESERVES to be made a bit uncomfortable.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 1:08 PM

"I hear Biff is an Inuit."

No, Biff is an *idiot*.

It's a common mistake.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 2:14 PM

Has anyone considered that Brownstoner is wrong? It doesn't cite any source that says a parole facility is coming in?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 2:32 PM

glad to hear Valazquez is going to pander to some screechy uninformed private school parents.
The school locates itself right near the court houses and office buildings filled with govt and lawyers, etc.
If you don't think it is safe - don't send your kid there.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 3:01 PM

"147 Pierrepont Street, a Ratner-owned property located between the lower and middle school buildings of St. Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights" -
so how is this 'Between' - isn't the one school closer to Clinton and the other one over further on Henry?
The 'Ratner-owned' (gotta add that in, 'cause it is real relevant') building is corner of Cadman Plaza, isn't it?

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 3:08 PM

We had a smoking room in my high school. Ah, good times.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 3:49 PM

The building pictured has St Ann's foreign language classrooms in it. Maybe even the Greek classes.

St Ann's does not have a "smoking room" except in the sense that it offers a smoking hot education in most of its rooms.

St Ann's and nearby courts/jails/urban life have co-existed for many years with no obvious detriment to either institution. I'd be surprised if St Ann's or any but its wackiest parents get up in arms about the parole office moving 2 blocks over.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 4:41 PM

Some of the screechy, whiney st. ann's parents think that parolees on pierrepont st are fine and that the other screechy, whiney st. ann's parents should just shut up about this, like right about now. The complaining and call to arms in incessant emails is unseemly and NIMBY and the facility is fine where it is. We live in a CITY. You don't like it, sent Ophelia and Harrison to Andover and move to Westport. Please? We'd all be so much happier that way.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 5:07 PM

I've been teaching at St. Ann's for over 30 years. It's a city school--safe for reasons that make suburban schools unsafe. Our safety comes from knowing all kinds of people firsthand, and knowing that people, young and old, live in the same society, gate their communities how they will. The biggest danger, statistically, to teenage people is not parolees or other potential lawbreakers, it is the automobiles they use to get around and hang out beyond the reach of urban public transportation. For kids under those ages, I could easily argue that the greatest risk could be poor immunities due to lack of everyday contact with large numbers of disease carriers. That's the paradox: protect yourself by excluding others and you run the greater risk that the protection will fail. I'll throttle incipient references to national politics except to point out that the Eastern (east of Brooklyn Bridge) and Southern (west of Brooklyn Bridge)Districts of the federal court system are quite separate, but that both handle drug prosecutions, which are, because of the dumb "war on drugs," an overflow business in every District.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 5:19 PM

"I'd be surprised if St Ann's or any but its wackiest parents get up in arms about the parole office moving 2 blocks over."

Sadly, "wackiest parents" encompasses a good 70% of Brooklyn Heights.

WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN! -- Maude Flanders.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 6:17 PM

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=21791

Brooklyn Eagle reports among other nice harmless white collar previous offenders...

What Types of Probationers Will Be There?

The probation office will also serve sex offenders, says Garoppolo. The sex crimes are specifically related to the use of computers to download and exchange child pornography – a federal crime. “Most of our offenders have committed no violent offenses,” he says.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 7:38 PM

Senator Martin Connor has learned about the proposed parole office next to the St. Ann’s School and has sent the following letter to United States Attorney Campbell:

July 11, 2008

Hon. Benton J. Campbell
United Sates Attorney
Eastern District of New York
271 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Dear U.S. Attorney Campbell:

I have just learned of your office’s plans to open a parole office at 147 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights. This location is across the street from the main building of the St. Ann’s School. There are also classrooms in 147 Pierrepont Street and St. Ann’s Lower School is immediately adjacent to this location.

Frankly, I cannot imagine a more inappropriate location for such a facility. I have been told that up to 1,700 federal parolees will be reporting to this office and that armed security guards will be staffing this location. This seems to me, to raise a possibly of an unsafe situation for young school children.

Brooklyn Heights and the Downtown Brooklyn area is home to the regional offices of many city, state and federal agencies. With the presence of these offices comes traffic, crowding on the sidewalks and subway stations, and the possibility of dangerous people frequently being transported to the courthouses and other facilities. A Parole office may add an additional element of danger to the neighborhood.

While I understand that your office is in need a facility to process parolees, I urge you to reconsider this location. Certainly, there are more appropriate sites in the Eastern District for this office.

I respectfully request a meeting with your office to discuss alternate locations for this parole facility.

Sincerely,

Senator Martin Connor

For More information please contact Sen. Connor’s Office at (212)298-5565

Or e-mail Oscar Jonas of his staff at

Ojonas@senate.state.ny.us

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 8:06 PM

Why doesn't anybody seem to care about the continued difficult state of the public schools in our community? Sure the budget cuts have been restored. But that is only for 1 year. In my child's school they were going to have to get rid of teachers, and afterschool tutoring and summer school and ALL school supplies with the exception of paper. Now we are surely going to have to worry about budget cuts to school food programs and the like. The fact is that there are some good schools out there that are public. And the rich may feel like they aren't good enough for their kids. But the rich have the power and obviously the money. And if they invested their time and money to lobby our public officials a lot more could be done. The school's chancellor basically said that he thinks parents that can afford it should send their kids to private schools. And the Mayor has no interest in improving city schools whatsoever, other than to pay off outside consulting firms to test, test, test -- and for what? The tests never result in anything but more classroom time gearing up for test prep. Never for actual learning based on a child's understanding and needs. So please parents of St. Ann's children, realize that while we don't want your kids to be in harm's way, we would like to ask for your support as well for our public schools. There are critical issues that affect us all citywide. And this is true whether you have kids or you don't. And I assume that brownstoner has children at St. Ann's or wanting to be at St. Ann's. Please Jon, for everybody's sake, also get to know the issues facing the public schools as well. Thanks.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 8:18 PM

Private school patrons should consider doing some of their outreach efforts to the public schools, you know, homeless shelters, meals on wheels, PSXXX or maybe I should pay even more because I'm a doctor that works 70 hours a week and needs the hassle free environment of a Private School - nasty me - I should pay more so that you can hang out all day in the Park gossiping about complete bullcrap and trying to fix a system that is unfixable. But it makes you feel good because you are an artist and not a corporate drone...right.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 8:39 PM

If it wasn't for the wealthty parents that attend St Anns staying in NYC, the tax base would suffer considerably as would your public school. Try to see the forest through the trees for once in your life.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 8:48 PM

Know your limits, accept your fate. If this doesn't suit you then change it.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 8:53 PM

I suppose it should not surprise me that the concern over a parole office set right in the middle of a school should engender such resentful comments because it is a private school. And I repeat- this parole facility will be surrounded by the school- the high school, languages department, computer department and the lower school will surround the parole facility. There are one thousand students here- from three year olds to 12th grade and that means the foot traffic along Pierrepont and Clinton Street is already constant- full of energetic and not always focussed kids travelling to class and to Cadman Plaza. And I am tired of the smarmy comments about the stereotypical "druggy" Saint Ann's kids- they are no different than any other high schoolers- some do stuff we don't approve of and some put a lot of energy into serving their communities, creating art and puzzling over the world. Like any other kids they deserve our thoughtful protection. They do not deserve to be ridiculed and derided by people who do not know them and have their own agenda that has little to do with the new parole facility.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 11:04 PM

ahhh, Ratner ... WHAT A PRICK!!!

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 12:01 AM

Is it me or are others scared that 8:39 is a dx and a parent too? And thank goodness we have been enlightened by the gentry at 8:48 that your tax base is what fuels this city. That is pretty funny. Comments like this do so much to make your cause a mockery. Seems to me you are waking up to see what kind of forest we all really live in here in the big city mister. Can't hide behind those trees. Better high tail it over to Greenwich asap!

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 12:09 AM

11:04 - excellent point. It seems to be fair game to attack people because they have some measure of success in life and choose not to engage with the BOE - regardless of the countless other charitable endeavours that they support both financially and otherwise.

12:09 - not scared at all. makes perfect sense. yes money fuels the city. To pay the police, the garbage men, to feed the poor, to service the sick and the elderly, provide shelter to less fortunate...need i go on. It all takes money and generous welll educated or endowed people. If they choose to go to Private School this is the least of your worries. No hiding here - fully embracing reality though.

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 8:24 AM

Whether these kids go to Private School or Public school, the fact still remains that they come out/in the building, and there are armed guards all around them... I don't think they will feel exactly "safe" even though the guards are supposedly the "good guys".

Really, I bet Saint Anns is going to lose some students - this can't be good for buisness.

Also, it can't be good in and of itself - Ratner owns the building!

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 10:10 AM

St anns should move. I didn't like the crowded feel of the surrounding environment for a school when I looked. Maybe Jersey City. could increase water taxi traffic, give easy access from Wall street and provide potential for nautical studies.

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 11:36 AM

I don't think we have to worry too much about the snotty rich kids that go to St. Ann's. Even if they never do a thing with their lives, they will always be rich. For starters they will get into the best colleges as the children of alumni, and then they will get top jobs at companies and firms run by their parents' circle, after working maybe for three or four years, they will inherit their grandparents and parents' multi-million dollar houses and co-ops and country estates. They are called the privileged class for a reason.

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 12:00 PM

You make a lot of assumptions. What % of private school children do you believe fit your description. Any financial planner would tell you that do not bank on the inheritance, inflation risk, investment risk. Give the kids a break you angry misinformed person. Do you really think that the heirs to Johnson and Johnson go to St Anns - get a clue. Oh and about 20% are there on Financial aid scholarship obtained largely through tuition padding and active engaged fundraising. sounds like an awful group of people. Donating time and money to BAM, Prospect Park, etc - have a good weekend.

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 12:25 PM

Do you know that St. Ann's does not even give grades? How does a college know if a kid is a good student wothout grades? Well, if your parents pay for you to get though St Ann's, you have the grades, you know? wink wink. If you are a scholarship student, you're screwed. Go back where you came from and lotsa luck.

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 7:40 PM

7:40 - is your brain the size of pea?

College entrance exams, extracurricullar activities, personal essays, references and very thoughtful and detailed analysis accompany the application. This is done by some very qualified individuals highly experienced in choosing the right school for the person.

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 9:24 PM

I get it. All people who aren't rich, who can't afford to go to St. Ann's are losers and actually pay to support the little people in this city. The fact that all my St. Ann's alum friends are talented, unrecognized artists, with trust funds and drug addiction problems -- mere coincidence! Thanks for educating us all on this blog. The internet is awesome. Let me know when to sign up for times to help you guys with your important cause. We like to help out abusive, arrogant, narcissistic parents who just want to pay to keep their kids safe so they don't have to be bothered with the actual needs of their off-spring, and can work their 70+ hour work week without any lingering guilt brought on (as was so helpfully pointed out in a post above) by gossiping, leftie hippie-types they might happen to see in some park somewhere who might actually expect parents to care about other people besides their off-spring; ie: public school kids or (gasp!) homeless people.

Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 10:35 PM

@!2:25: "Oh and about 20% are there on Financial aid scholarship obtained largely through tuition padding and active engaged fundraising."

Dude, are you high? Put down the crack pipe. Get a job because your wife is sick of having to work so hard to pay the full tuition at old st. a's for the kids. there is no "tuition padding." only the tiniest minority get any kind of financial aid. Not that it matters, really, that you are so unaware but only schools with endowments (e.g. packer, the manhattan private schools) can give significant financial aid (20% of the student body on aid is a HUGE figure; nothing like that has ever been imaginable in the wildest wet dreams of the st. a's admin;)

yet many of the commenters here are accurate nonetheless. st. a's is home to the children, for the most part, of the most privileged of the denizens of the new cashed-up nyc. and although you could argue that it sucks that they will have to eyeball people who have gotten caught for the crimes they committed, it's also really not that serious that they have to deal with reality. when they get to HYP (harvard, yale, princeton) and are among the future obamas, cuomos, spitzers, zabars, bloombergs, trumps, and kennedys (and their spawn) whom they will know, fuck and be friends with lots and lots of those kids will commit much, much worse crimes than the poor sods reporting to their parole officers in this new facility (on pierrepont st) and will never, ever get caught much less punished or have to deal with a parole officer. so get over it. The world is already so unfair, life is already so tilted in favor of these privileged kids who get to go to bosworth's dream of a

Posted by: guest at July 13, 2008 1:25 AM

Geeze-- alot of you peeps are downright mean! Bottom line, parents have a right to ask questions when a parole facility goes in next door to a school. Asking questions out of concern for your child's safety doesn't make you a bad person.

Just because some of you commenters harbor resentment towards private schools and apparently this particular school for your own reasons, and just because many of you enjoy the process of flaming each other, doesn't change that fact.

People who send their kids to private school are still taxpayers who support public schools and all kinds of other community things.

Posted by: guest at July 13, 2008 7:35 AM

Move to Cuba. I did lots of drugs when I was in Public high school in NY. Crashed so hard on amphetamines that I prayed to die one morning. Maybe if i was at Private School the drugs would have been better quality. We need the Bloombergs, Obamas and Kennedys - certaintly don't need angry insecure people who think that the world is against them...

Posted by: guest at July 13, 2008 7:40 AM

Bloomberg didn't go to Private School - Obama did - Kennedy's - well I'm sure you know their story. So because may go to an Ivy school, the parolees are OK. I personally don't think that it is a hugee deal. It's the prejudice against well off people that baffes me. I can assure you that if this was happening next to a Publicly funded school, that there would be outrage. Why the double standard. Pure misplaced animosity. The country is too divided among Far right and far left - what happened to moderate democratic stance with choice as central theme. We are still the most free nation in the world for upward mobility and free expression. That's not to say that it's perfect - far from it - as perfect as humans are on the whole - but the opportunity is there for change. Give children the right tools, analytic, verbal and technical along with sensitivity to underprivilege and this is where the potential lies.

Posted by: guest at July 13, 2008 8:27 AM

People, we all know you send your kids to private schools so they don't have to deal with the reality of the city. Don't pretend otherwise. If you want to work out a better tomorrow for children then let's include all the children of this city. Otherwise yes there will be a lot of resentment in this forum and others towards the entitlements you have. It's not the money. It's not the education you want to buy for your kids. It's the fact that you couldn't care less about anybody else's kids. One thing that dealing with the DOE teaches the rest of us parents is that we have to work hard to lift up all the children in all the schools. Parents of children who have been vocal about the cuts to the budget and the increased obsession of the Bloomberg admin with testing have been protesting on behalf of changing a system. Not just making sure their kids will have a better situation in their school. But when you are only talking about the safety of your childrens' school it is so the opposite of what most parents in this city are fighting for. So when we have issues getting our kids safely to school because the city's school bus problems are so outrageous or the classroom sizes are so large in all public schools which makes it difficult for kids to get the attention they need, the quest to make sure some guys who are heavily guarded keep away from your kids does seem a bit narrow of a concern. Potential is something you are looking to buy for your kids. Potential is something that all kids deserve. And if you think money isn't buying your kids a better shot at a sunnier future than why are

Posted by: guest at July 13, 2008 9:00 PM