MDC Brooklyn
The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn is a federal jail that houses pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates in the New York area. It has been subject to criticism for conditions and staffing.
Maxwell’s Conditions
Maxwell’s attorneys filed multiple court motions about conditions of her detention, including claims about:
- Inadequate lighting in her cell that allegedly made it difficult to review legal documents
- Guards shining flashlights on her every 15 minutes throughout the night to check whether she was alive
- Inadequate food quality
- Inadequate medical care
The Suicide Watch Context
The 15-minute checks were instituted in the context of post-Epstein concern about high-profile federal detainees dying in custody. The unusual monitoring was in some respects a direct response to the failure at MCC.
Court Responses
Courts denied most of Maxwell’s motions for improved conditions, finding they did not rise to constitutional violations.
Political Dimensions
Maxwell and her family portrayed the conditions as part of a campaign by authorities to break her down before trial. Prosecutors argued the conditions were standard for MDC.