Split Decision on House of Detention
Yesterday’s decision in State Supreme Court regarding the future of the Brooklyn House of Detention had something in it for both sides: The city expressed pleasure with the ruling that allows it to resume operating the 759-bed jail as it did prior to closing it in 2003. (It’s been operating it on at a reduced…
Yesterday’s decision in State Supreme Court regarding the future of the Brooklyn House of Detention had something in it for both sides: The city expressed pleasure with the ruling that allows it to resume operating the 759-bed jail as it did prior to closing it in 2003. (It’s been operating it on at a reduced capacity since last November.) Neighborhood activists and politicians who have been speaking out against the city’s plan to double the jail’s capacity in a half-billion-dollar build-out were happy with the part of the decision that required any future expansion to be prefaced by environmental and land use reviews. The lawyer for the opponents, Randy Mastro, called the ruling a huge victory for the community and a vindication of its right to meaningful public input before the city commits itself to such massive projects. Opposition group Stop BHOD and other community groups and public officials will be holding a protest on the steps of City Hall tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.
Court Allows Brooklyn Jail to Reopen [NY Times]
Judge Clears Reopening of Brooklyn Jail [NYT/City Room]
Brooklyn House of Detention Can Reopen, Judge Rules [NY Daily News]
Judge: City can reopen House of D [Brooklyn Paper]
Judge Reopens Jail Doors [Brooklyn Eagle]
do i detect a note of self-deprecating humour in the What’s posts here?
Brooklyn Gent let me guess. You just flew into JFK with your backpack from Spokane Wash, Right???
“What percentage of holding facilities in this country enjoy that setup? And further, what are we talking about when we say added congestion/expense of busing people? ”
This is a moot point! The buildings are up! WTF is wrong with people??!!!! Brooklyn HOD is there Already!!!!!! My GOD I’m in the Bizarro world
Brooklyn Gent you just penned a nice POS. I hope your edmukation goes a long way with common and street sense…
The What (COFFEE!!!!)
Someday this war is gonna end…
This ruling seems completely sensible: they can reopen as is, but if they want to expand, they have to go through the usual channels.
wow, what an HOD-friendly crowd!
Everyone gets political-correctness brownie points.
Yipeee!
So if not there then where? Who’s backyard should it be in? If it will have a negative impact who’s area would you like to see impacted?
I’ve always enjoyed these HOD discussions when they pop up, but have never commented before. It looks like the pro-HOD crowd is making the early noise, so I’d like to get a few points going for the other side.
1. The HOD will be a negative for the surrounding businesses and real estate. I don’t think this is really debatable. What is debatable is: a) how bad it will be and b) whether that’s irrelevant because it’s still justifiable given proximity to courthouses, lack of suitable replacements, etc.
2. I think that given the current economic situation, it’s especially damaging for the city given: a) the cost of renovating/expanding; b) the foregone revenue on selling the valuable parcel of land and relocating to a cheaper venue and c) the foregone tax revenue from all the side effects of the HOD’s presence/expansion – such as: less property taxes associated with declining property values, and less business taxes associated with less business revenues.
I’ve been reading this board long enough to know that these arguments have already been made (as have the opposing arguments). But one point that I haven’t seen raised regards the issue of proximity to the courthouses. This seems to be a big argument on the pro-HOD side: i.e. ‘it’s the only logical location for the HOD, it doesn’t make sense to bus people across the borough, etc’ To me, this argument seems really superfluous. Ever since when did it become a logistical requirement that holding facilities be within walking distances of the courthouses? What percentage of holding facilities in this country enjoy that setup? And further, what are we talking about when we say added congestion/expense of busing people? Two extra buses a day on roads already clogged with hundreds of thousands other vehicles? I just don’t see how this argument should be a factor when you consider all the other overriding economic concerns.
Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this far.
as another nearby resident who could never understand all this kneejerk reaction against reopening (including all those politicians i.e. Yassky et al). As I’ve written before – biggest annoyance is the parking permit employees of court and correction system.
Yet – a bit leery of doubling size of facility because usually ends up be major boondoggle of cost overruns and decade of construction.
What is right- more so because other than being a really ugly building, the BHOD has never caused any trouble to the neighborhood.There are no hordes of ravening prisoners rushing through the streets, mobs of family and friends infiltration the neighborhood and holding up stores and tots at gunpoint, or wild west shootouts. The only problem seems to be it offends the delicate sensibilities of some of its residents. I lived a block and a half away for over 20 years. There were no problems.
Biff – he doesn’t just want it nearby, he wants to be able to pop in and out of it at will. You’ve got to think like a Rob.