Politicians Rally Against House of D Plans
“A diverse cast of politicians” gathered yesterday to talk smack about the Department of Corrections’ plans to reopen and expand the House of Detention on Atlantic and Smith, says the Observer, including Councilman David Yassky, Comptroller Bill Thompson, State Senators Marty Connor and Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and Randy Mastro, a deputy mayor under…
“A diverse cast of politicians” gathered yesterday to talk smack about the Department of Corrections’ plans to reopen and expand the House of Detention on Atlantic and Smith, says the Observer, including Councilman David Yassky, Comptroller Bill Thompson, State Senators Marty Connor and Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and Randy Mastro, a deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani. We’re not going to let you just move forward, ignore the wishes of the community and act as if you can unilaterally reopen and expand this prison. It’s not going to happen. Department of Corrections: back off. It’s a very bad idea, said Thompson. According to the Post, Yassky is opposing the plans, in part, because it would be much more expensive than moving the expansion to Rikers: $297,500 a bed in taxpayers’ dollars in Boerum Hill, or $440 million, versus $177,000 a bed at Rikers. The Sun says the event drew “dozens” of protesters “waving ‘Stop the Jail’ signs. Where do you stand?
Officials at Brooklyn Jail Protest: ‘People Live Here Now’ [Observer]
Brooklyn Jail a Wa$te: Pol [NY Post]
Brooklyn Jail Opponents Speak Out [NY Sun]
Photo by JayeClaire.
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
Do you know what pisses me off that people dont realize that gentrification is good for an area. It means better bars,restaurants,shopping and most importanlty safety.
So having all the jail reopen and who knows more bail bond places will open, more traffic and parking in area is all negative impacts on development…
Soi stop being so obstuse and understand what makes sense…
The ignorant thing is it was there so let it stay there that is a dumb f “in” comment the area has changed dramatically
The HOD is an obsolete facility that has been empty and deteriorating for years. It is the very embodiment of the word “dinosaur”. Past multi-million dollar renovations have been the embodiment of the word “boondoggle”. The City should cut its losses, sell the property for a pretty penny and build a new state of the art facility on Riker’s Island where it belongs.
good point 11:44. it’s a mystery why so manny are ANGRILY PRO JAIL. or ANTI ANTI JAIL. jeez.
Court & Smith Streets south of Atlantic are my shopping areas of choice…can’t wait to go to Los Paisanos for some of those aged steaks on Saturday!!! And Fish Tales is great.
I think George Carlin is probably correct!!
Its obvious that most of the posters here live east of Flatbush Avenue.
Such malevolence agaisnt the communities along Court Street. Or maybe it’s envy.
9:13 your are a complete uneducated DOOOSH….
20 years ago there was crime everywhere in the area it wasnt safe. ANd its safe and very desirable and the purpose of not opening the jail is to keep the area going in the right direction you stupid ass…
Yes I understand people lived here before but not as many that do now and have invested alot of money to an area. The jail was put up in the late 50’s when the area had no promiser its a totally different ball game now.
SO leave you ignorant comments to yourself becasue you are bitter at life…
George Carlin used to do a great bit about how prisons were great to live near, since if anyone broke out, the immediate are whould be the last place they’d want to hang around.
Who is proposing to put the jail in Crown Heights or Bed-Stuy? Nobody. Why not fix Riker’s Island? That was the whole reason BHOD was closed down in the first place. Centralized efficiency. Now suddenly the City reverses its own policy because it dropped the ball with maintaining Riker’s?
Commissioner Horn says Queens bears too much of the burden of the jails? Give me a break. Saying Riker’s Island is a burden to Queens is like saying Ellis Island is a burden to Manhattan or Brooklyn. Queens has no community jails.
Brooklyn already houses a federal prison in Sunset Park that is home to more than half of the City’s federal convicts.
There are places in the City (and in Brooklyn) that are not large commercial and residential hubs – right next to the federal prison in Sunset Park, for one.