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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did the Metropolitan Correctional Center go to therapy? It had a lot of cell issues.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York
Map
Interactive map of Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York
Location
StatusInactive since 2021
Security classAdministrative facility
Population0[1]
Opened1975
Managed byFederal Bureau of Prisons
WardenMarti Licon-Vitale[2]
WebsiteOfficial website

The Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York (MCC New York) is a temporarily-closed United States federal administrative detention facility in the Civic Center of Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is located on Park Row behind the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse at Foley Square. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

MCC New York holds male and female prisoners of all security levels. Most prisoners held at MCC New York have pending cases in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. MCC New York also holds prisoners serving brief sentences.[1]

The Los Angeles Times stated that the prison is often referred to as the "Guantanamo of New York",[3] and The New York Times stated that its administrative segregation units had severe security measures.[4]

History

[edit]

Opened in 1975 in the Civic Center neighborhood of Lower Manhattan,[5] MCC New York was the first high-rise facility to be used by the Bureau of Prisons.[6] The jail was technically an extension of the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, to which it was connected via a footbridge.[7] Prisoners were assigned to one of 10 separate, self-contained housing units, resulting in little movement within the facility. In 2002, it was widely reported that MCC New York was severely overcrowded.[6]

Numerous high-profile individuals have been held at MCC New York during court proceedings, including Gambino crime family bosses John Gotti and Jackie D'Amico, drug dealer Frank Lucas, Ponzi scheme fraudster Bernie Madoff, terrorists Omar Abdel Rahman and Ramzi Yousef, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and weapons trafficker Viktor Bout.[8] After being extradited to the United States, Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was housed in the facility.

On August 26, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced that the prison would be temporarily closed because of its deteriorating condition. At the time of the announcement, 233 prisoners were held there. They were moved to other prisons while the department dealt with the problems.[9]

Facility

[edit]

The correctional center is housed in a 12-story high-rise building located at 150 Park Row in the Civic Center neighborhood. In 2017, it had 796 inmates, both male and female, which is far more than its design capacity of 449.[10][11] The facility has one female wing; seven General Population male wings, six of which feature cells and one is a dorm; one Special Housing Unit (SHU); and one maximum security unit. Each unit takes up two stories. All General Population units feature a gym (no weights), a kitchen (microwaves, hot water, ice), and five TV sets (one in the gym and four in the common area). Offices, classes, and computers are located on the unit's second floor. The jail is chronically understaffed.[11]

Inmates in the 10-South wing are locked inside single-man cells 23 hours a day that are continuously monitored by CCTV cameras and have lights on at all times.[4][12] Prisoners are kept isolated: their cells are equipped with showers, and the only time they're taken outside their cells is for exercise in an indoor cage. No outdoor recreation is permitted.[12] Most 10-South prisoners are subject to special administrative measures, which severely restrict their communication with other prisoners and with the outside world.[12]

The 9-South wing is a designated SHU. It houses inmates that violated prison rules; new arrivals that have not been medically cleared for General Population yet; and inmates in Protective Custody (PC).[12] Both inmates in a cell are cuffed at the back through a food slot every time the cell door is to be opened. Inmates are escorted to the shower three times a week, always cuffed.[citation needed] The wing has leaky plumbing that results in prisoners encountering pools of standing water and sewage, and it also has rodent and cockroach infestations.[13][14]

Notable former inmates

[edit]
Inmate Name Register Number Photo Status Details
Omar Abdel-Rahman 34892-054 Transferred to FMC Butner.

Died of natural causes on February 18, 2017 while serving a life sentence plus 15 years.

 Leader of the terrorist organization al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya; convicted in 1995 of seditious conspiracy for masterminding a foiled plot to bomb high-profile targets in New York City, including the United Nations, the Lincoln Tunnel, the Holland Tunnel, and the George Washington Bridge in what is known as the New York City landmark bomb plot, as well as conspiring to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.[15][16]
Abu Hamza al-Masri 67495-054 Transferred to ADX Florence.

Serving a life sentence under the name Mostafa Kamel Mostafa.

 Egyptian cleric and former associate of deceased Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden; extradited from the UK in 2012; convicted in 2014 of masterminding the 1998 kidnapping of Westerners in Yemen and conspiring to establish a terrorist training camp in Oregon in 1999.[17]
Abu Anas al-Libi Unknown Died in custody at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on January 2, 2015 while awaiting trial. High-ranking Al-Qaeda operatives; indicted in 2000 on conspiracy charges stemming from Al Qaeda's 1998 bombings of two US embassies in East Africa, which killed 224 people.[18]
Khalid al-Fawwaz 67497-054 Transferred to USP Victorville.

Serving a life sentence.[19]

Michael Avenatti 86743-054 Transferred to Long Beach Residential Reentry Management.

Serving a 19-year sentence; scheduled for release on September 8, 2028.

 Convicted in New York of attempting to extort Nike and honest services fraud related to his client; also facing two other pending trials relating to tax evasion, filing false tax returns and allegations of defrauding clients including Stormy Daniels.[20]
Viktor Bout 91641-054 Transferred to USP Marion.

Released into Russian custody in a prisoner exchange on December 12, 2022 after serving ten years of a 25-year sentence.

 Russian arms dealer; convicted in 2011 of conspiring to kill Americans and supplying anti-aircraft missiles and other weapons to FARC, a Marxist group on the U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.[21]
Daryl Campbell 75951-054 Transferred to Brooklyn MDC.

Serving a 35-year sentence; scheduled for release on June 5, 2058.

 Podcaster convicted of manslaughter after fatally shooting Troy Ave's bodyguard in 2016.[22]
Jeffrey Epstein 76318-054 Died in custody of suicide by hanging in his cell on August 10, 2019 while awaiting trial.[23][24][25] Charged with the sex trafficking of underage girls. It was the first recorded suicide at MCC in 21 years.[26]
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani 02476-748 Transferred to ADX Florence, and then to USP McCreary.

Serving a life sentence.

 Al-Qaeda terrorist convicted for his role in the bombing of embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He was on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list from its inception in October 2001. In 2004, he was captured and detained by Pakistani forces in a joint operation with the United States, and was held until June 9, 2009, at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.[27]
John Gotti 18261-053 Transferred to MCFP Springfield.

Died in 2002 while serving a life sentence.

 Boss of the Gambino Crime Family in New York City from 1985 to 1992; convicted of murder, murder conspiracy, loansharking, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, bribery, and tax evasion in 1992.[28]
Salvatore Gravano Unknown Released in 1994 after serving less than one year of a five year sentence. Former underboss of the Gambino Crime Family; turned government witness and testified against boss John Gotti. Placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program in return for turning government witness in 1991.[29][30]
Joaquín Guzmán 89914-053 Transferred to ADX Florence.

Serving a life sentence plus 30 years.[31]

 Sinaloa Cartel leader known as "El Chapo. Escaped twice from high-security prisons in Mexico before his capture in 2016; he was extradited to the United States in 2017 and convicted of drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit murder.[32]
Patrick Ho 76101-054 Released from custody on June 8, 2020.[33] Hong Kong businessman charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering.[34] In March 2019, he was sentenced to three years in prison for bribing the leaders of Chad and Uganda to secure advantages for CEFC China Energy.[35]
Bernie Madoff 61727-054 Transferred to FCI Butner.

Died in custody on April 14, 2021 after serving 11 years of a 150-year sentence.[36]

 Former financier; pleaded guilty in 2009 to fraud, money laundering, perjury and theft for perpetrating the largest Ponzi scheme in US history, robbing thousands of investors of over $65 billion over 20 years; the story was featured on the CNBC television program American Greed.[37][38]
Paul Manafort 35207-016 Transferred to home confinement in May 2020.[39]

Released from custody on December 23, 2020 after being pardoned by President Donald Trump.

 Former lobbyist, political consultant, lawyer, and chairman of the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign. Sentenced to 60 months in prison for lobbying violations, bank fraud, and tax fraud.[40] Pardoned by Trump on December 23, 2020.[41]
Ahmad Khan Rahimi 78312-054 Transferred to ADX Florence.

Serving a life sentence.

 Perpetrator of the 2016 New York and New Jersey bombings. Convicted in federal court of use of weapons of mass destruction and bombing a public place.[42]
Sayfullo Habibullaevich Saipov 79715-054 Transferred to ADX Florence.

Serving ten concurrent life sentences plus 260 years.

 Perpetrator of the 2017 New York City truck attack, in which he killed eight people and injured thirteen others.[43] Convicted in 2023 of murder, assault, and attempted murder in support of ISIS as well as providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.[44]
Ross Ulbricht 18870-111 Transferred to USP Florence High, then to USP Tucson.

Released on January 21, 2025 after being pardoned by President Donald Trump.[45]

 Creator and operator of Silk Road, a darknet market website known for selling narcotics and other illicit goods. Originally sentenced to life in prison for drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to traffic in false identity documents, and conspiracy to launder money.[46]
Akayed Ullah 79827-054 Transferred to ADX Florence.

Serving a life sentence.[47]

 Convicted for the 2017 bombing of a New York City subway station, injuring four people (including Ullah), on behalf of ISIS.[48]
Ramzi Yousef 03911-000 Transferred to ADX Florence.

Serving a life sentence plus 240 years.

 Convicted in 1994 of terrorism conspiracy and other charges in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six people and injured more than 1,000 others, and for the murder of the passenger killed when Yousef planted a bomb on Philippine Airlines Flight 434.[49] Yousef was also convicted in 1996 of planning Project Bojinka, a foiled plot conceived by senior Al-Qaeda member Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to bomb twelve planes in a 48-hour period.[50]
John Zancocchio 48744-080 Held in MCC New York awaiting trial; released on July 31, 2018. Alleged Bonanno family consigliere charged with racketeering conspiracy involving loansharking, extortion, wire fraud, mail fraud, narcotics trafficking, and conspiracy to commit murder.[51] Zancocchio was found not guilty on March 14, 2019.[52]
Chuck Zito 12032-054 Transferred to FCI Lewisburg.

Released from federal custody on April 13, 1990.

 President of the New York Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels; pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in 1986.[53]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "MCC New York". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
  2. ↑ "New York warden reassigned after Jeffrey Epstein's death; two staffers placed on leave". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  3. ↑ Demick, Barbara; Patrick J. McDonnell (January 20, 2017). "Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has a new home: The Guantanamo of New York". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Goldstein, Joseph (January 23, 2017). "Manhattan Jail That Holds El Chapo Is Called Tougher Than Guantánamo Bay". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  5. ↑ Dugan, George (August 3, 1975). "400 Prisoners Are Transferred To New U.S. Jail on Foley Sq". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Bosworth, Mary (2002). The US Federal Prison System. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. p. 272. ISBN 9780761923046.
  7. ↑ Goldberger, Paul (July 26, 1975). "New Detention Center at Foley Sq. Is Hailed as Advance in Jail Design". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  8. ↑ McShane, Larry (March 13, 2009). "Inside Bernard Madoff's new home: the Metropolitan Correctional Center prison in Manhattan". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
  9. ↑ Weiser, Benjamin (August 26, 2021). "Justice Dept. to Close Troubled Jail Where Jeffrey Epstein Died". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Metropolitan Correctional Center New York". Zoukis Prisoner Resources. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  11. 1 2 Neumeister, Larry; Mustian, Jim; Sisak, Michael R. (August 12, 2019). "Federal New York lockup draws new scrutiny in Epstein death". Associated Press. Retrieved August 21, 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. 1 2 3 4 Theoharis, Jeanne (August 16, 2019). "The Real Scandal of the MCC". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  13. ↑ Watkins, Ali; Ivory, Danielle; Goldbaum, Christina (August 17, 2019). "Inmate 76318-054: The Last Days of Jeffrey Epstein". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019. Beyond its isolation, the wing is infested with rodents and cockroaches, and inmates often have to navigate standing water — as well as urine and fecal matter — that spills from faulty plumbing, accounts from former inmates and lawyers said. One lawyer said mice often eat his clients' papers.
  14. ↑ Stahl, Aviva (June 19, 2018). "Prisoners Endure A Nightmare 'Gulag' In Lower Manhattan, Hidden In Plain Sight". Gothamist. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  15. ↑ Fried, Joseph P. (October 2, 1995). "THE TERROR CONSPIRACY: THE OVERVIEW;SHEIK AND 9 FOLLOWERS GUILTY OF A CONSPIRACY OF TERRORISM". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  16. ↑ "'Supermax' prison awaits Moussaoui". BBC News. May 4, 2006.
  17. ↑ Wald, Jonathan; Andrew Carey (October 5, 2012). "Radical Islamist Abu Hamza al-Masri extradited to U.S." CNN. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  18. ↑ Weiser, Benjamin (October 15, 2013). "Terror Suspect Caught in Libya Appears in Manhattan Court". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  19. ↑ Jomana, Karadsheh (January 3, 2015). "Alleged al Qaeda operative Abu Anas al Libi dies in U.S. hospital, family says". CNN. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  20. ↑ Flood, Brian (February 14, 2020). "Ex-CNN darling Michael Avenatti convicted of trying to extort Nike". Fox News. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout handed 25-year federal sentence". CNN. April 6, 2012. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  22. ↑ Donahue, Bill (June 20, 2023). "Taxstone Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Fatally Shooting Troy Ave's Bodyguard at NYC Concert". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Jeffrey Epstein dies by suicide in Manhattan jail; Death raises 'serious questions,' AG Barr says". ABC7 New York. August 10, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Guards 'severely overworked' at time of Epstein's death". BBC News. August 12, 2019. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  25. ↑ Leonnig, Carol D.; Davis, Aaron C. (August 15, 2019). "Autopsy finds broken bones in Jeffrey Epstein's neck, deepening questions around his death". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  26. ↑ Gearty, Robert (August 12, 2019). "Epstein's New York lockup rare place for inmate suicides, suicide attempts". Fox News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani Found Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court of Conspiring in the 1998 Destruction of United States Embassies in East Africa Resulting in Death". FBI Archives. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  28. ↑ Raab, Selwyn. "John Gotti, Head of the Gambino Crime Family, Dies at 61". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Arizona Department of Corrections". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  30. ↑ Klaus von Lampe. "Salvatore Sammy The Bull Gravano". Organized-crime.de.
  31. ↑ "El Chapo trial: Mexican drug lord Joaquín Guzmán found guilty". BBC. February 12, 2019. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2019. Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán has been found guilty on all 10 counts at his drug trafficking trial at a federal court in New York.
  32. ↑ Dobuzinskis, Alex. "Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' begins life term in Colorado 'Supermax' prison". Reuters. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  33. ↑ Lum, Alvin; Emma Kazryan (December 6, 2018). "Former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping convicted in US court on 7 of 8 counts in bribery and money-laundering case". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  34. ↑ Cheng, Kris (November 23, 2017). "All parties deny involvement after US arrests ex-Hong Kong top official Patrick Ho on multi-million dollar bribery charges". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Patrick Ho, Former Head Of Organization Backed By Chinese Energy Conglomerate, Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison For International Bribery And Money Laundering Offenses". www.justice.gov. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  36. ↑ Lee, MJ (March 20, 2014). "Madoff: Politics, remorse, Wall Street". Politico. POLITICO LLC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  37. ↑ Henriques, Diana B. (March 12, 2009). "Madoff Goes to Jail After Guilty Pleas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  38. ↑ Kouwe, Zachery (July 14, 2009). "Madoff Arrives at Federal Prison in North Carolina". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  39. ↑ Coleman, Justine (May 13, 2020). "Manafort released to home confinement due to coronavirus concerns". The Hill. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  40. ↑ Breuninger, Kevin (March 13, 2019). "Paul Manafort gets additional 43 months in second Mueller sentence after ex-Trump campaign boss says he's 'sorry'". CNBC. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  41. ↑ Haberman, Maggie; Schmidt, Michael S. (December 24, 2020). "Trump Gives Clemency to More Allies, Including Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Jury finds Ahmad Khan Rahimi guilty of all charges in Chelsea bombing". ABC7 New York. October 16, 2017.
  43. ↑ Katersky, Aaron; Deliso, Meredith. "NYC truck terror attacker spared death penalty as jury can't come to unanimous decision". ABC News. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Sayfullo Saipov To Be Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2017 Truck Attack For ISIS". www.justice.gov. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  45. ↑ Hayes, Christal (January 22, 2025). "Trump pardons Silk Road dark web market creator Ross Ulbricht". www.bbc.com. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Ross Ulbricht, aka Dread Pirate Roberts, sentenced to life in federal prison for creating, operating 'Silk Road' website | ICE". www.ice.gov. May 29, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  47. ↑ del Valle, Lauren (April 22, 2021). "NYC subway bomber sentenced to life in prison for terror attack | CNN". CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Akayed Ullah Convicted for Detonation of a Bomb in New York City". www.justice.gov. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Judge recommends life in solitary for World Trade Center plotter". Minnesota Daily. January 9, 1998. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  50. ↑ Bernstein, Richard (March 5, 1994). "EXPLOSION AT THE TWIN TOWERS; 4 ARE CONVICTED IN BOMBING AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THAT KILLED 6, STUNNED U.S." The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Acting Boss of Bonanno organized crime family and 9 other members of La Cosa Nostra indicted for racketeering and related charges | ICE". www.ice.gov. January 12, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  52. ↑ Donnelly, Frank (March 14, 2019). "2 alleged mob bigwigs acquitted of racketeering, conspiracy". SI Live. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  53. ↑ Zito, Chuck; Layden, Joe (December 17, 2003). Street Justice – Google Books. Macmillan. pp. 217–223. ISBN 9780312320218. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
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