A lawsuit was filed earlier this month in an attempt to torpedo a one-stop parole building in the Gowanus section of the borough, the Brooklyn Eagle reported.
The 61,000 square feet facility is located at 15 Second Ave. near Whole Foods, which sits directly behind the facility site. The suite notes that the parole center is expected to serve “all of Brooklyn’s 6,000-plus parolees at a rate of up to 526 per weekday,” posing concerns for the families, businesses and children in the neighborhood.
The parole building is expected to open in January 2015, according to the Independent Neighborhood Democrats political club website.
According to the Eagle story, Brooklyn Borough President supports the suit.
“I support the overall mission and work of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, including the critical assistance it provides for parolees as they transition back into our communities,” Adams said in a statement. “However, I feel the placement of such a facility should not come at the expense of the city’s limited manufacturing zoned land stock.”
City Councilman Bard Lander said while he is a long-standing proponent of good re-entry and criminal justice programs to support ex-offenders as they transition back into their communities, and knows parole facilities aren’t easy to site, he has some concerns.
“When not only the community members, but the parolees themselves are speaking out in opposition to the site, we have to question the decision to approve this location. Throughout this process there was no meaningful dialogue with stakeholders about the siting. As a result, DOCCS (New York State Department of Corrections and Community Service) selected a location that just doesn’t work,” he said.
