The Stop BHOD coalition formed to end the New York government’s attempt to re-populate and expand the Brooklyn House of Detention (over on Atlantic b/w Smith & Boerhum Place) has relaunched its website and also added a blog. In addition, they will be holding a rally outside the State Supreme Court building in Cadman Plaza Park 9am, Tuesday (1/6/09).

State Senator Eric Adams, Council Member Letitia James and the NYCHA tenant groups have joined the lawsuit against the re-population and expansion. Also taking part in this suit (originally filed last month by Comptroller William C. Thompson and Council Member David Yassky) are Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association, the Atlantic Avenue LDC, the Cobble Hill Association and Stop BHOD. A release describes the whole mess as:

This extreme waste of tax payers money ($440 million for the Brooklyn facility and another $500 million for one in the Bronx) is also a concern for correction policy – “lock ’em up” rather than attempt to rehabilitate. The City has repeatedly declared its intention to nearly double the size of its closed Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue, yet has not informed or engaged the public about the re-opening of the expansion project, nor has it followed any of the state or city laws which compel it to conduct a detailed analysis to determine environmental and community impacts. Meanwhile, the City has re-opened the jail and budgeted more than $1 billion for new jail construction throughout the City – already entering into contract to spend more than $30 million on architects – all during one of the worst financial crises in New York’s history.

The Brooklyn House of Detention was closed in 2003 because of a declining prison population, sizable capacity available for prisoners at Rikers Island, and in order to save money on the costs of running an extra jail. Soon after, however, the Bloomberg administration announced plans to build a towering new structure atop the exiting jail, nearly doubling its size and adding 700 new beds.

Any odds on whether this thing happens when the fighting stops?
—Vaduzuvunt