MDC Brooklyn
Find messaging, video, and phone options for MDC Brooklyn. Compare providers and discover what communication services are available. Free, no account required.
- Facility Type
- Federal Facility
- Security Level
- Administrative
- Inmate Capacity
- 1,500 approx.
- Established
- 1994
- Operated By
- Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
MDC Brooklyn Inmate Communication Overview
The Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn is a federal detention facility operated by the Bureau of Prisons in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, in Kings County, New York. Opened in 1994, MDC Brooklyn primarily houses pretrial detainees, people who have been charged with federal crimes and are awaiting trial, along with some sentenced individuals serving shorter terms. Because of its location in New York City and its role in federal prosecutions handled by the Eastern District of New York, MDC Brooklyn frequently houses high-profile defendants during federal cases. On any given day, the population includes people at various stages of the federal legal process, from initial detention through sentencing.
Communication at MDC Brooklyn follows Bureau of Prisons rules, though the pretrial nature of much of the population introduces some important differences from standard federal prisons. CorrLinks is used for electronic messaging, but access for pretrial inmates may be subject to court orders or attorney-imposed restrictions in some cases. Families should confirm whether their loved one has been cleared for general communication before setting up accounts, particularly if the case is actively ongoing. Phone calls run through ConnectNetwork, and families can fund a prepaid account to receive inmate-initiated calls from the facility.
MDC Brooklyn does not offer remote video visitation. In-person visits must be arranged through the standard BOP visitor approval process, but given the detention center's role in active prosecutions, visit scheduling can sometimes be more complex than at a standard federal prison. The facility is accessible by subway from Manhattan and other parts of the city, which makes in-person visits more practical for New York area families than visits to more distant BOP institutions. If a pretrial detainee is later sentenced and transferred to a federal prison elsewhere, the communication platform will remain CorrLinks and ConnectNetwork, but accounts may need to be updated to reflect the new facility.
Facility Information
Contact details and location information for this correctional facility.
Address
80 29th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Main Phone
(718) 840-4200
Administrative line — not for inmate calls
Official Website
Visit official siteVisit and Contact Details
Inmate search, mail, visiting hours, costs, commissary, and bail information for this facility.
Inmate Search
Search inmates on the official roster
Check the spelling of the name carefully, and allow 24 to 72 hours for new arrivals to appear in the roster.
INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER MDC Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center P.O. Box 329002 Brooklyn, NY 11232
Include the inmate name and ID on all mail.
Commissary / Sending Money
BOP Trust Fund: send money via MoneyGram, Western Union, or money order to the Federal Bureau of Prisons processing center in Des Moines, Iowa. Do not send money to the facility address.
Communication Options
Available communication services at MDC Brooklyn.
Messaging
Electronic messages to and from the inmate.
Provider: CorrLinks
Available but may be restricted by court order for some pretrial detainees. Confirm status first.
Video Calls
Remote or in-person video visitation.
Remote video visitation is not available at MDC Brooklyn.
Photo Sharing
Send approved digital or physical photos.
Physical photos by mail only, subject to BOP content restrictions.
Phone Calls
Inmate-initiated phone calls to approved numbers.
Provider: ConnectNetwork
Inmate-initiated calls. Some pretrial detainees may have call restrictions.
Money Transfer
Send funds to commissary or phone accounts.
Provider: ConnectNetwork
Trust fund deposits via ConnectNetwork or BOP money order.
Communication Providers at MDC Brooklyn
These providers operate communication services at this facility. Each may cover different services.
CorrLinks
Federal messaging via TRULINCS/CorrLinks. Pretrial defendants may have court-ordered communication restrictions.
View CorrLinks ServicesConnectNetwork
BOP phone system and trust fund deposits. Fund a prepaid account at connectnetwork.com.
View ConnectNetwork ServicesCommunication Rules at MDC Brooklyn
- Pretrial detainees may have communication restrictions imposed by the court. Confirm status before setting up accounts.
- CorrLinks contact requires inmate initiation or approval through the TRULINCS system.
- Remote video visitation is not available at MDC Brooklyn.
- If a detainee is sentenced and transferred, update your ConnectNetwork and CorrLinks accounts to the new facility.
- All BOP communications are monitored under standard Bureau of Prisons policy.
Related Facilities
Other correctional facilities with communication guides.
Frequently Asked Questions: MDC Brooklyn
Common questions from families about communication at this facility.
- How do I message someone at MDC Brooklyn?
- CorrLinks is the messaging platform. Create a free account at corrlinks.com and wait for the inmate to invite you or approve your contact request. One important note: pretrial defendants may have communication restrictions tied to their case. If you are not receiving an invitation, it may mean the inmate cannot yet send messages. Confirm their communication status first.
- How do phone calls work at MDC Brooklyn?
- Phone calls from MDC Brooklyn use ConnectNetwork. Create an account at connectnetwork.com, add funds linked to your phone number, and the inmate will call you from facility phones. Some pretrial detainees may have restrictions on calls. If calls are not coming through, ask the inmate or their attorney whether there is a court order limiting communication.
- Can I visit someone at MDC Brooklyn in person?
- Yes, but you must be on the inmate's approved visitor list. Submit a visitor application to MDC Brooklyn and allow time for the background review. The facility is accessible by subway (D/N/R train to 36th Street in Brooklyn). In-person visits are the primary alternative to electronic communication since video visitation is not available.
- What happens to communication if my loved one is transferred from MDC Brooklyn to a federal prison?
- CorrLinks and ConnectNetwork are used system-wide across BOP facilities. Your accounts carry over when an inmate is transferred. You may need to update the facility within the CorrLinks or ConnectNetwork platform, but you do not need to create new accounts from scratch.
- How do I send money to someone at MDC Brooklyn?
- Deposits for the trust account go through ConnectNetwork at connectnetwork.com. You can also use the BOP money order process or services like Western Union Quick Collect and MoneyGram. Funds process in one to three business days.
Troubleshooting at MDC Brooklyn
Fix the most common problems families hit with calls, video visits, money, and messaging.
- Why am I not receiving calls from an inmate?
- Inmates can only call out, so you cannot call an inmate directly. If expected calls are not coming through, check your phone's spam or silence-unknown-callers setting, since carriers often block jail numbers. Save the facility's number as a contact, confirm your number is on the inmate's approved list, and check whether your carrier blocks collect or prepaid calls. If several expected calls fail, contact the facility's phone provider support.
- Why is my inmate not showing up in search?
- New arrivals can take 24 to 72 hours to appear in search results, and people in transfer may temporarily disappear from listings. Try alternate spellings and name variations, and make sure you are searching the right system: the federal BOP locator only covers federal inmates, while county and state searches are separate. Some records are withheld for protective custody or sealed cases. If it has been more than a few days, call the facility's records office.
- I sent money but it is not showing in the inmate's account. What should I do?
- Allow processing time first. Electronic deposits can take hours and money orders can take much longer. Check your receipt and confirm the inmate's name and ID matched. Do not send a second payment until the first one is traced, since duplicate payments are hard to reverse. Contact the money-transfer provider's support with your receipt or confirmation number. If the inmate was recently transferred, funds may follow after a delay.
- Why was my video visit cancelled or cut off?
- Most cancellations come from connection problems or conduct-rule violations. Stay in frame, keep your ID ready, follow the dress code, keep other people off camera, and avoid profanity. Visits can also be cancelled for facility lockdowns or schedule changes. For refunds, contact the video provider's support with your visit details.
- What should I do if the facility changed its communications provider?
- Create an account with the new provider, since old accounts and balances do not transfer automatically. Ask the old provider whether refunds are available for unused balances. Confirm the new provider's phone, video, and messaging setup before your next visit or call.
- Why is my CorrLinks invite code not working?
- Invite codes expire, and a code only works for the inmate who sent it. Ask the inmate to send a fresh invite, and enter the code exactly as shown. Also confirm the inmate added you to their approved contact list, since messaging cannot start before that step. See our guide: CorrLinks invite code not working
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