A federal detention facility in Manhattan known for housing
high-profile inmates like Jeffrey Epstein and Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is in
the process of closing down.
The New York Department of Justice says the Metropolitan
Correctional Center located in Civic Center will close, at least temporarily,
after drawing criticism for its management after Epstein died in his cell in
2019.
A DOJ spokesperson says the department is committed to
ensuring that facilities in the federal prison system are safe and secure, and
that it will remain closed until the issues have been resolved.
There are currently around 260 inmates housed at the
Metropolitan Correctional Center.
The move to close the facility comes after Deputy Attorney
General Lisa Monaco visited the facility on Aug. 4 to “get a first-hand look at
its operations and infrastructure, given ongoing concerns.”