[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] From the depths of a federal jail on the Brooklyn waterfront, the sound reverberated: a polyrhythmic pounding like a hailstorm on the roof of a shed. It was the sound of hundreds of men in freezing cells at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park, a jail that was virtually without electricity and largely without heat for over a week. With the jail on partial lockdown, inmates were unable to use phones to call their loved ones, but their percussive banging could be clearly heard to those outside, and to the world beyond. The inmates banged anything they could — shoes, their fists — against any surface they met: the walls and windows and bars of the jail that holds them. Sunday morning, when protesters unfurled a long paper banner across the street from the jail that said “You are heard you are loved,” the inmates banged their approval.<doc-sep>What happened: Last Friday, my colleague Annie Correal reported that inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were being held in freezing cells, in darkness, unable to contact their families or meet with their lawyers. The story got national attention, as demonstrators massed, inmates pounded at the windows and lawmakers demanded action. Mayor Bill de Blasio sent blankets. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo called for a Department of Justice investigation. Protesters tried to enter the jail and were driven back with pepper spray. On Sunday night, electricity and some heat were restored. By then, federal judges were seeking answers. In a hearing Tuesday, held by Judge Analisa Torres, inmates described the freezing conditions and said problems predated the Jan. 27 electrical fire that jail officials initially said was the source of the problems. Why it matters: The problems at the M.D.C. come amid a rethinking of criminal justice nationwide, against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement and a groundswell of political activism among Democrats.<doc-sep>The Justice Department says it will work with the Bureau of Prisons to examine what happened at a federal detention center in New York City that lost heat and electricity last week NEW YORK -- The U.S. Department of Justice said Sunday it will work with the Bureau of Prisons to examine what happened at a federal detention center in Brooklyn that had lost heat and electricity last week and to ensure that it has a backup system in place. "In the coming days, the Department will work with the Bureau of Prisons to examine what happened and ensure the facility has the power, heat and backup systems in place to prevent the problem from re-occurring," said Wyn Hornbuckle, deputy director of public affairs for the Justice Department. Electrical power was finally restored at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Hornbuckle said. Protesters have gathered outside the facility in recent days following news reports that those housed there have largely been without heat or power for the past week and also haven't been able to communicate with lawyers or loved ones. Outdoor temperatures have been well below freezing on some recent days, though Sunday was warmer. "With the heat and hot water operational, and the restoration of electrical power, the facility can now begin to return to regular operations," Hornbuckle said. Earlier Sunday, some demonstrators attempted to enter the facility, and guards drove them back with pushes and shoves. Witnesses said they also used pepper spray. A reporter and photographer for The Associated Press were at the facility when a woman, whose son is being detained, tried to get into the jail. On Sunday, an inmate was able to call through the window of his cell, which faces out to the street, to his mother below. The woman, Yvonne Murchison, was crying and upset and tried to get into the facility, where visits have been stopped. "I'd trade places with him any day, that's my child," she said. She was followed by activists and media into the lobby, where visitors have to pass through metal detectors. Witnesses said officers used significant force to push the people out, with some of those attempting to come in being pushed to the ground. The AP photographer felt some type of spray, and began to have trouble breathing. Those affected were seen washing out their eyes with water or milk. The Bureau of Prisons has acknowledged that the jail "experienced a partial power outage due to a fire in the switch gear room." The bureau had said a new electrical panel was being installed by an outside contractor. The agency insisted that inmates had hot water for showers and sinks, and were getting medications as needed. The jail administration did not return an email seeking comment on the clash Sunday. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for an investigation of the circumstances of the loss of heat and electricity by the federal Department of Justice, saying the situation was "a violation of human decency and dignity" and also raises "questions of potential violations of law." The Democrat said he wanted answers, and those responsible held accountable. "Prisoners in New York are human beings," Cuomo said. "Let's treat them that way." The New York Civil Liberties Union released a statement Sunday calling on the Bureau of Prisons to "ensure that no detainee be subjected to retaliation for peacefully protesting." "Today's confrontation between the Bureau of Prisons and family members of people jailed at MDC highlights the desperate need to address the dangerous, inhumane and unlawful conditions inside the facility," NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman said. ——— Associated Press Writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Representative Jerrold Nadler, whose district includes parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan, denounced what he called a “total lack of urgency and concern” by the warden, Herman Quay, and jail management. Inmates who needed electrical power for sleep apnea machines were at risk of a stroke, Mr. Nadler noted. When Mr. Nadler announced that contracted electricians had already left, and that power was unlikely to be restored over the weekend, the crowd grew angry. The Federal Bureau of Prisons released a statement on Saturday night on behalf of the jail’s management, saying that a new electrical panel had been installed by an outside contractor that day and that the “facility is working to restore power as expeditiously as possible.” It expected work to be completed by Monday. The statement continued: “Inmates have hot water for showers and hot water in the sinks in the cell. Essential personal hygiene items and medical services continue to be provided.” On Friday night, a court order allowed the lead federal and public defender in the Brooklyn office, Deirdre von Dornum, to tour the jail for four hours. Because the electrical fire had knocked out the lights and outlets, inmates could not use computers to contact relatives or request prescription refills, including for psychiatric medications, she said. As officials toured the prison on Saturday afternoon, the protesters outside, including many relatives of inmates there, marched around the jail chanting, “Where is the warden? Where is the heat?” As a brass band played outside, inmates pounded on the narrow windows of their cells, in their own form of protest.