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.
10.52, I’ll forgive you for your race-stupidity. What he means is people who vote live here now.
It seems to me that all the people who are up-in-arms about the NIMBY issue are ignoring all of the public policy, correctional policy, and fiscal policy arguments that make a lot of sense. Not to mention the fact that the City is doing all of this in a “blatantly illegal” fashion as evidenced by Mr. Mastro’s statements. If you can step outside of your moral outrage for two moments, you might see that this is about more than lower property values or orange jumpsuits clashing with prada bags and strollers.
10:52- GASP! Do you know what you’re asking??? Oh the horror!
And you’re completely right.
9:13 here- I lived in that neighborhood for years. Funny- thought it was a real community with real people to me. Naaahhhhh- I’m hallucinating. we only had invisible people so of course Connor could be expected to make a mistake.
“I pity the neighborhood that ends up with that facility.”
and that’s my point exactly. Instead of making it better they close it down. they don’t do that in neighborhoods like Crown Heights and bed-Stuy and those neighborhoods are probably where that facility will end up now. Those neighborhoods have far more than their fair share of these facilities. It’s not fixing the problem, it’s Brooklyn Heights and the rest practicing classic NIMBYism.
What you said about the BHOD being a holding center was right on the money. And thank you for saying it.
i’ve lived 3 blocks from this thing for 12 years. guess what? who cares? never saw a man in an orange jumpsuit rampaging down smith street.
what do those against this IMAGINE is going to happen? Man escapes and then beats people up in surrounding area? what?
my guess is that the absolute jerk-offs that have migrated to this hood with their tankers full of money are concerned not with the prisoners. but the people VISITING the prisoners. aka – the riff raff.
also – this thing isn’t here for no reason. Guess why they call it COURT street.
people around cobble hill/Heights need to toughen the fuck up already and show a microscopic amount of fortitude.
jeez.
Vaguely racist remark. What he really means is: White people live here now.
Well boohoo for the entitled whities in the neighborhood that just moved in. God forbid they should have to see black people visiting and look out those unappealing bail bonds signs. What a load of crap. I would like to see the jail reopen.
9:13 — right on. Big time and insulting pandering on the part of the politicians. I guess the previous “community” didn’t vote as much as this one.
9:29 — there is a significant methadone clinic on Court Street already — near President, I think. Also, on Atlantic Avenue there was a halfway house of sorts for teenage boys and young men in some kind of foster care limbo. It was recently shut down. That was truly a source of crime and will not be missed. I pity the neighborhood that ends up with that facility.
Can we all remember that the HoD is not a prison but a holding center for people being TRIED? Unless I’m missing something? People here seem to think they themselves will never end up in a House of Detention, but it could happen to you. Wrongful arrests happen in even the best justice system. In this one, it happens disproportionately to people of color. If it happened to you, the least you could want is to be easily visited and supported by your friends and family.
i wish some of the residents of brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum and all the politicians had too.
I don’t see anyone addressing the fact that this neighborhood already bears far more than its fair share of community services – MTA, Board of Education, all the courts, and many others.
And the detainees will still need to be bussed. The new criminal courthouse at 330 Jay Street is at least 10 blocks from BHOD. Either they bus it or hoof it – and I’m guessing it’ll be the former.