GUIDE
What is MDC Brooklyn, and how does its mail work
The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn is a federal facility run by the Bureau of Prisons. It is not a sentenced-population prison: it is a pre-trial detention center, holding people awaiting trial who have not been convicted of anything.
Why it is in the news so often
Because it serves New York's federal courts, the country's most-covered cases pass through it. It has held very well-known figures awaiting trial, and its conditions — heat, medical care, power outages — have been the subject of reporting and court complaints for years.
- You need the full legal name and the eight-digit federal register number.
- All incoming non-legal mail is opened and inspected.
- Plain white paper. No glitter, stickers, tape, staples, or colored stock.
- No cash, loose stamps, or items of value.
- There is no delivery confirmation for an outside sender.
Before you send anything
Confirm the register number in the BOP's public locator and confirm the facility's current mailing address on bop.gov — facilities change how they receive mail more often than you would expect.
Common questions
- Is MDC Brooklyn a prison or a jail?
- It is a federal pre-trial detention center: most people held there are awaiting trial rather than serving a sentence.
- Can I send photos to MDC Brooklyn?
- Ordinary paper photos are allowed within the facility limit, with no adhesive backing and nothing sexual. Polaroids are rejected.
You can write to Padrino now and we keep it, free, until there is a verified mailing address. Or post it on the public wall. Write it →