From a new times are Michael barbaric. This is today at times, destination found that inside of Brooklyn jail more than thousand inmates, remarked inside freezing cells with no heat for twenty three hours a day, prompting an investigation by the Department of Justice. While the involvement of the Department of Justice may not be the turning. It appears to be it's Wednesday better. Without any. When you first hear about the story, so it's the end of January and like much of it, Country New York is heading into a deep colts. I

A foothold in this is news for now for Thursday January thirty. First, first up, yes, the weather, I don't even have to tell you it's cold out there. It was four degrees when we shot this this morning, with a Winchell of more than twelve below other parts of the area felt like negative, thirty from midnight one January thirty. First, I take it, my email and there's an email from an unfamiliar address. The subject line is NBC Brooklyn without power, and it says no, he no power. No Prob food over seventy two hours in lockdown goes on to say: please help can't complain the prison with our names as they retaliate against inmates and block our visits, any quarrel. First New York for the times? I immediately thought if this is real, there must be some sign of it, especially in New York, it's hard for anything to happen without it being treated. So what I do see,

is one tweet from a lawyer who said two weeks before that she had been turned away because the jail said that with testing a generate? So I sent her a message and she writes back saying. Yes, there is an issue she's, getting information that there is no power since Sunday afternoon when there was an electrical fire and she said that the person I'm really gonna wanna talk too, is an attorney Dr Andorra them who runs the Brooklyn off. As of the federal public defenders, they present hundreds of inmates at places like Metropolitan detention centre. So I called Deirdre and she doesn't sound exactly shocked to hear from me she's pretty much like

yeah. We ve been hearing from people all week and they sound really scared. It turns out that there is this telephone line that connects the jail to the federal defenders, offices, and so even though powers down this line kept working over the course of the week. The federal defenders started getting more and more calls from inmates inside NBC thing were cold. We ve been unlock down. There are no lights in the jail, so pretty much. They ve been gathering accounts there, one paralegal in Deirdre Office, who even has a chart of where calls or come from in the jail which floors seem to be effected more than others so this is one of the only places that the inmates could reach in this moment. I think it's fair to say that it's the only place that they could reach unless they happen to have a contraband self,

This became a bit of their lifeline, and so what are the stories through this direct line to the public defenders office that these in May? are sharing with Diedre and her colleagues, so the stories all paint the picture of a jail that has been plunged into darkness they never never go right back had no idea what time? What do you want to talk about it since we deprivation its

if the still be unease got hundreds of inmates locked into cells that are pitch black. Whenever they have like here, but the hearings before ceremony, he Gaza and instead of hot air blowing through the vents going from the outside, so called there it's cool ere. I speak on the top bank so directly on beside it was I took a cover up and you could explain to tie up there to block the recall them up and put the comforting. You tickets are blocking the, but they don't have anything but a couple of blankets, blankets, you're, like the blanket like you, too,

So the pin cotton like up I got together. She had for you to give up their after took one could be followed an extra one up to see you have really any way to stay warm, and this is in the middle of the court's bill. You described. Whether during those days is really getting colder and colder. Helpful. That day, that I got the tap would be the coldest day in, I think, three years in New York, it dropped two degrees, so it was rigid, cold and At the same time, many of these inmates didn't have access to their prescription medication that they would usually get. Nor did they get any medical care he. So we had people who had no infections. Open wounds They weren't treated. There was a guy who had been hit by handball and had sort of it been wound around his eye. That appeared to have been infected theirs the guy who had a chronic sore on his leg. That was festering in

was sleeping on bloody sheets. I think some of the most worrisome cases were psychiatric patients who didn't get their usual medication, or so they told lawyers, and known suicide risks. There was one man who the lawyer told me was known to swallow razor blades There was another man who had to take a noose out of his cell mates hands because the sky was just having an emotional breakdown in the middle of this black out. So I think that the shut down wasn't, it wasn't just cold and it wasn't just sort of bleak. I think it was very different for inmates to be held in these cells without knowing how long it would. Last you know they were led out for about an hour enduring

that our was when they appeared to go to the phone and call the lawyers, so the word began to get out before my auditors were comfortable. Taking this to press, they wanted to find someone else who could attests to these conditions. I should note that I was reaching out repeatedly the warden and his staff Herman Clay sort of dickensian, warden name, I'm right out to him no response, and I'm am you no kind of scratching my head. How can I get someone to confirm that, with the help of my colleagues I reached out to union leaders, correction officers are part of a National union and then they too were really forthcoming. It was similar to what I experience be. No speaking to the federal defenders. They were like oh yeah as though Finally, someone called and they begin describing

situation very similar to what the inmates described are we decide organs to publish this first thing the next day they are times reports, inmates in freezing cells at a federal jail in Brooklyn power. After we publish the story, we do here back from the warden and the Wardens Office says that they are experiencing a partial power outage and operating on urgency power, but a sure the housing units have been killed. Minimally impact it and that there is hot water that there's heat, that in made are getting hot meals, and it's interesting because this contradicts what we ve heard: pretty drama

I mean you're, pretty much hearing opposite accounts of minimal impact. Exactly so, after that you know. I had also reached out to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, which runs the show, and I hear back from them and they echo the wardens message, nothing to see here and they that you know. Conrad has been busy I like to think of our company. The local power utility has been responding to several incidents, and so they seem to sort of put the blame on connected, and so I call Conrad and there like know. This isn't colonel issue. It has nothing to do with us and we ve actually been pretty good during this cold spell. So now you ve got the public defender the corrections officers union the inmates, the power company, all pointing back to the jail exactly so then, what

take a look at what is happening right now outside of the matter. Modern detention centre, impearled, lame mourns or going off once they reach the outside world. The response was swift and loud long may nature. I tell he means here in New York protests. Today over conditions at a federal jail within hours of the story appearing news trucks protesters than lawmakers were at the jail. There are inmates. Families

there's local advocate hundreds of family friends and concerned. Citizens have spent the entire day out in the pool fighting these inmates and they don't come for the night naturally, in that kind of sting through a weaker, now men, men. On the other hand, of a twenty four hour. They are demanding that the he come back on and we're looking at it

nearly a week at this point that the jail has been without power. So you ve got people throughout the weekend with both warrants and they're kind of communicating with the inmates. Who are the lining up and banging their windows in any kind of common response, with the protesters outside this gets captured by social media, the very poignant seconds, a video. That goes out through the world and the response just needs to grow and grow sober, U S representatives visited the facility Saturday to address he electricity in medical concerns by the end of the week, and you ve got your mom

snow, lawmakers kind of timing in to say something got to be done: Senator Kirsten Jeweller Brand and Camilla Harris people who are we are now really thinking about in terms of presidential candidate right and by Sunday night you ve got the lights back on at the jail and that's kind of a a moment, because the protesters are still there. It's late at night and the lights back on, and you see all of the inmates flipping the switch and there's no and the jail light up and everyone sort of cheer on the street, so that may have been kind of like the end of the story, but actually, as the way

begins the action around this only kind of grows, a letter signed by two dozen legislators with these powerful Democrats included, goes out to the Bureau of prisons and to the Justice Department and they demanding an investigation, and LO and behold Wednesday. The d o Yes, we are going to have our inspector general. Investigate So what's the deal J launch, this investigation, I met for you as a reporter, covering this breaking it. This is kind of mission accomplished, you ve got a tip. You ve got to the bottom of it. You ve written about it federal government is investigating. So what moors there really to do right? It all happened.

We quickly. I will say that it seems to be one of those moments that suggest that things do work the way they are supposed to. When you report something out, you get it out there in the world, elected officials respond and the government takes action, but I dont know if it's that simple women. It turns out that there is a long history of pretty egregious issued the deal Jays been called in the inspector general has been assigned to investigate theyve come out with scathing reports, and then it happens all over again. The report, Justice departments, own inspector general in two thousand three concluded that the metropolitan Engine suffer in Brooklyn, head conditions of confinement that were unduly harsh said First major instance of that was not long,

after nine eleven when a group of around eighty muslim and arab men were rounded up on immigration charges after the attacks of September eleven, they suffered everything from harassment to physical us very limited access to attorneys or families lights illumine twenty four hours a day and a pattern of physical and verbal abuse, one losses. Described men being slammed up against the wall and told them I would never leave you die there and no one would know. In one case the men said he was sodomize. The flashlight by the crutches by employees at the embassy. Virtually every one of the post. Nine eleven detainees was eventually cleared of connections to terrorism. When people said well, you know this reflected an emotionally charged time. Following nine eleven but following years, there were cases of inmates beaten by several officers. In a-

meditated, sort of way frontal prosecutors guards at a federal, lock up, tried to cover up a vicious attack on an inmate, and they say it didn't stop. There is heavy attack so violent. The officers later tighter bedsheet from prison bars to try coined the inmate had tried to commit suicide. One case involved officers leaving a noose in the cell to suggest that the man had been trying to kill himself and had become combative when they tried to see the second alleged attack dates to June of last year when an inmate was punished? stop by officers in an elevator in me, beat in an elevator it's a turning Rosalind Moscow said quote: we will vigorously protect the constitutional rights of individuals to be free of excessive force by officer whose duty is to uphold the law. In a few cases, there

women, who were sexually assaulted and raped by correction officers and lieutenants. So all of that has been laid out in horrifying detail, an inspector general reports in the past and here we are so here we have a situation where the diploma justice is involved and because their involved, that's it just that they will solve this particular problem as they have in the past, but cases. You describe suggest that when the departure of justice begins, investigating ITALY, the larger problem untouched, that persists exactly that's been the cycle. The pattern in some ways, though its understandable you're asking the department of just

which runs the Bureau of prison to police itself to root out the source of its own dysfunction and there's plenty to suggest that that just doesn't happen or doesn't happen very quickly. So you might question whether that's gonna be effective and various people are in a win. The department of Justice announced that its inspector general would investigate empty, see. Very people, including the federal defenders, said we applaud the efforts Lawmakers bring us to this step, but they ve done it before and nothing has changed. So if the department justice is not involved, how is change achieved in a jail like this. Exactly so where does that leave us lawyers here in New York, the federal defenders that represent hundreds of these clients, they're asking for an inn

appendant monitor, what's known as a special master, who is involved in the Department of Justice to come in and be part of this and to finally bring change to empty see, We don't know whether that's gonna happen, but I think whether or not an independent monitor is assigned? This incident comes at a moment when both parties are really examining the future of criminal justice It is a nation that believes in the power of redemption, from Donald Trump to Elizabeth Warren America's legal system is great at locking people up but heritable at doing what it's supposed to. Dispensing equal justice under law. People are asking what should send people to present our drug offences worth it How long should they spend in prison? What should their rights be?

when there are there? So what could be a better example of a system that now quite working, then a jail where they can even get those lights to work and the heat to stay on. In the dead of winter any you very much for supporting repair. Thank you. Make up we'll be right back.

How does your home impact your health can virtual reality, help million suffering from loneliness, I'm science, journalist Korea's Powell and I'm culture, credit Kristen minds? Are we teamed up with invest? Go cute? You t brand at the New York Times to create innovation uncovered the world changing in real time, often in ways we can predict on innovation uncovered. We share stories about the groundbreaking people in technologies. There reshaping our culture right now, listen now wherever you get your podcast in basque or distributors ink. Here's what else? You need to know that? I am I happy at first glance I just got to say, and the answer is no, I'm not I'm not happy. On Tuesday, President Trump and he was displeased with the border security deal reached by Republicans and crash in Congress to vote Another government shut them, but he will who's to say whether he would sign or veto it. The proposal

far less money for a border walk then Trump has demanded and less than the plan, You were rejected in December, which triggered a thirty five days. Damn don't think you're going to see a shadow. I will I gotta during cabinet meeting on Tuesday the President's reluctant to plunge the government into another costly shut down but said that if there were one, it would be the fault. The Democrats, if you did have it Democrats full and I accept it- first, what are not of what we have accomplished. There's people learn that shut down all about the problems coming in the southern border- I accept I've, always accepted, but this one I would except in Athens, let's go federal jury here in Eastern District convicted Joaquin EL chapel.

Who is lawyer on all counts the federal indictment on Tuesday after us three month, try and, oh years, long investigations involving authorities in and of four countries excellent crime or known as El Chopper was, can did on charges of wanting a multi billion dollar drug empire that brought hundreds of tons of drugs across the? U S, boy whose jurisdiction is a victory for the american people, who is suffered so long and so much goes, one made billions boiling point over our southern border trial of Joaquin Goosebumps, held in a heavily secured courthouse in Brooklyn exposed the financing, logistics and blue. The history of a major drug cartels from the precise profit. Earned on cocaine sales to its men, the use of a bazooka for target practice. Goose one who have

a long history of escaping from prison in Mexico to see with doors and underground tunnel is excellent. To be sentenced to life in a supermax prison in Colorado. Use conviction is a victory The mexican people proven more than a hundred thousand lie. Related violence is given it is a victory for every family. Ass, the love one to the black hole, Where did you? Those who say that the war on drugs is not worth fighting whose people are wrong. That's it? I'm, like Obama, Cinema,

a payroll and hr company needs to be prepared, for whatever is going to happen, you could say that over seventy years of experience, helping businesses all over the world run smoothly is good preparation. But for eighty p, that's not enough to make your millions of people are getting paid on time and in compliance. Eighty p is staying on top of each new piece of legislation. So when it comes down to it, eight p isn't just apparel in a jar company there, the company that help you navigate the complexities. Eighty p, hr talent, time benefits in payroll, informed by data and designed for people.