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A retired warden from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center has described what detention is like at the facility. Cameron Lindsay tells PEOPLE that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is an “attractive target for assault” behind bars.
As previously reported, Diddy will remain at MDC-Brooklyn on pre-trial detention. After a second failed attempt at requesting bail, his lawyer revealed that they’re trying to speed up the trial process. Combs is facing three felony charges, from racketeering to sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The FBI arrested him at a Manhattan hotel on Monday (Sept. 16).
The former warden’s comments about the jail mirror those made by Diddy’s legal team. Marc Agnifilio and Teny R. Geragos described conditions at MDC-Brooklyn as “horrific” in their rejected $50 million bail proposal. They advocated for pre-trial home detention with GPS monitoring and the surrender of his, his mother’s, and four daughters’ passports. Two judges said no, citing concerns about allegedly being dangerous to potential witnesses.
Now, Lindsay tells PEOPLE in a recent interview that Diddy’s charges could reverse the danger behind bars.
“His huge celebrity status and the allegations of violence against women make him a very attractive target for assault,” Cameron Lindsay told the outlet. “And in the subculture – in the world of jails and prisons – to deliver a hit on somebody like him would be considered a badge of honor.”
The former warden added that the Brooklyn jail Diddy is in can be “cold” and “austere,” which means strict, rigid, or harsh. Everything is planned. It’s not a life,” Lindsay reportedly shared.
A Bureau of Prisons rep named Scott Taylor confirmed that Diddy is not receiving special treatment. Like the center’s additional 1,217 inmates, Combs has a six a.m. wake-up call and an hour and a half to tidy his bed.
An inmate handbook reviewed by PEOPLE shows that MDC-Brooklyn has five headcounts in a 24-hour period. Lunch happens at 11 in the morning, while dinner comes after 4 p.m., except on weekends and holidays.
Additionally, the retired warden said Combs would be cut off from the outside world in several ways, including no internet access and limited time outside in enclosed areas.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs hasn’t directly spoken out from behind bars. However, his lawyer, Marc, clarified that reports about the producer being on suicide watch are true but said Combs is “not at all suicidal.” The attorney confirmed it was a regular procedure for “new, high-profile inmates.” Diddy is reportedly “strong, healthy, confident, and focused on his defense,” per the lawyer.
