Maggots in food and deadly brawls: The prison Diddy's in is 'hell on earth'.

This Thanksgiving was far from ordinary for Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Once a music mogul synonymous with lavish living, Diddy spent the holiday in Brooklyn's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Instead of the indulgent family feast one might expect a star to eat on the American holiday, Diddy's Thanksgiving dinner reportedly consisted of roast turkey for lunch, followed by a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. The menu, obtained by People, paints a stark contrast to his former life of excess.

MDC Brooklyn is one of the most notorious prisons in the world, and has become known for its dark reputation. But why? Here is everything we know.

Watch Diddy's apology video. Post continues below.

What is the Metropolitan Detention Center?

Located in an industrial stretch of Brooklyn's waterfront, MDC Brooklyn is the sole federal jail in New York City. The other federal jail, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, closed in 2021 — two years after Jeffrey Epstein's suicide — because of its deteriorating condition.

Opened in the 1990s, MDC houses roughly 1,200 detainees awaiting trial or serving short sentences. It features amenities like outdoor recreation spaces, a medical unit, and educational facilities — but that's about where the good news ends.

The jail has become infamous for its harsh conditions and frequent controversies, with even some judges expressing hesitancy to send defendants there.

What makes MDC Brooklyn so terrible?

"Hell on earth" is how Mark Bederow, a criminal-defense attorney and former Manhattan prosecutor, once described MDC to Business Insider. And he's not the only one.

Detainees have reported dire conditions, including violence, lockdowns, and limited access to showers, food, water and exercise.

The jail has also faced criticism for rampant contraband smuggling, including drugs and phones, sometimes facilitated by staff. According to an Associated Press analysis of agency-related arrests, as many as six MDC staff members have been charged with crimes in the past five years.

Former inmates have also alleged that the prison has holes in the walls where prisoners can spy on the women housed one floor below.

Safety is another glaring issue at MDC: recent years have seen stabbings, brawls, suicides, and even deaths at the facility.

This year, Uriel Whyte, 37, was stabbed to death; Edwin Cordero, 36, died a month later in a brawl.

"The hundred shouting voices could rise to deafening levels," a former prisoner told Prison Professors.

"Tensions remained high as inmates did not always conduct themselves like gentlemen. One man heard about his mother's death on the same day another man went free.

"A vicious fight could erupt between cousins or friends. Once, a man died while sitting on the toilet."

So bad are the conditions that Diddy's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, wrote a letter to US Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky attempting to get the rapper moved from the facility.

Agnifilo claimed the conditions were "not fit for pre-trial detention" and "numerous courts in this district have raised concerns with the horrific conditions of detention here", as per NBC news.

Are changes being made at MDC?

MDC's response to emergencies — from a week-long power outage in 2019 to COVID-19 outbreaks — has been widely condemned.

As of late 2023, the jail was operating at just 55 per cent of full staffing, leading to increased security risks and added strain on employees.

In response to mounting criticism, the Bureau of Prisons has promised improvements. They claimed to have increased staffing at the jail by about 20 per cent, hiring correctional officers and medical staff. This brings the total number of employees to 469, as per Corrections1.

Some judges, however, remain unconvinced, choosing to release defendants or assign house arrests rather than send them to MDC.

In January this year, judge Jesse M Furman of Federal District Court in Manhattan, refused to send a man convicted in a drug case to MDC while he awaited sentencing.

"It is imperative that those detained pursuant to the order of a court are treated humanely," said Furman, adding that at least two other judges had done the same in the past on similar grounds, reported The New York Times.

Who else has been held at the MDC?

Diddy is only the latest in a line of high-profile detainees who've walked the halls of MDC Brooklyn.

The roster includes Ghislaine Maxwell, R Kelly, Sam Bankman-Fried, rapper Fetty Wap, sex cult founder Keith Raniere, and more.

Convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving her 20-year sentence at a low-security prison in Tallahassee, claimed she was given food with maggots while incarcerated at MDC.

Her lawyers called the conditions at the prison "reprehensible", alleging that Maxwell was subjected to invasive surveillance and deprived of water.

They also cited raw sewage and rats in her cell, and claimed that guards shone torches into her eyes every 15 minutes, reported The Guardian.

What's next for Diddy?

Diddy's legal team has requested his transfer to a New Jersey jail or house arrest at his Miami mansion, but these pleas have so far been denied.

For now, he remains in MDC Brooklyn's special housing unit — designed for added security but also isolating.

Feature Image: Getty.