Sean “Diddy” Combs and fellow inmate Luigi Mangione are facing even stricter confinement at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) after a violent brawl erupted among inmates last week. The “race riot,” reportedly involving over 40 prisoners, led to a facility-wide lockdown, temporarily suspending all family and friend visits for at least a month.
MDC Placed on Lockdown After Massive Fight
According to DailyMail.com’s podcast The Trial of Diddy, federal prison consultant Sam Mangel revealed that MDC has been in “modified operation” since last week’s incident. While Combs, Mangione, and other high-profile inmates, including disgraced crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried, were not directly involved, all prisoners in the facility are being subjected to the same restrictive measures.
Speaking on The Trial of Diddy, Mangel detailed the harsh conditions Combs now faces under lockdown:
“He’s locked down now, at least 23 out of 24 hours. I’m sure they allow him out at least three times a week for a shower, maybe to make a phone call, but that’s about it. So he’s being fed in his cell, it’s a six by nine cell with a little slat for a window.”
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed that multiple inmates were involved in the February 22 altercation, which resulted in several injuries, with two individuals requiring outside medical treatment. No prison staff were harmed in the melee.
Diddy’s Life Inside MDC
Despite being housed separately from the violent incident, Combs and Mangione remain fully affected by the lockdown. Mangel explained that while they are segregated from general population disturbances, they are still subjected to the same restrictive measures as all other inmates.
“They’re on a truly segregated floor from everybody else. Now, they are punished the same as everyone else in the facility. Unfortunately, while fortunately, they might be safer.”
Before the lockdown, Diddy reportedly interacted with fellow inmates, passing the time by playing spades and board games. According to Mangel, Combs appeared to be adjusting to his incarceration:
“It was around holiday time, so I believe he was as depressed as any other guy that was there that couldn’t be with their family… but he was as friendly and congenial as everyone else on that floor. I’m sure he laughed at times.”
Despite the grim reality of his situation, Combs remains hopeful. He and other pre-trial detainees still believe in their chances of beating their charges.
MDC’s Notorious Reputation and What Comes Next for Diddy
MDC, which houses over 1,600 inmates, has long been criticized for its inhumane conditions. In 2019, the facility made headlines after prisoners endured days without heat or electricity in winter. The recent riot only reinforces its reputation as a dangerous and poorly managed institution.
Combs has been locked up at MDC since his arrest last September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He has been denied bail multiple times and remains in custody awaiting trial on May 5.
If convicted, Mangel suggests that Combs should be placed in USP Tucson, a high-security prison with a specialized unit for sex offenders, where he would receive higher protection from other inmates.
“If I were consulting him, should he be found guilty, I would be working with his legal team to get him to the best facility based upon his sentence.”
For now, Combs remains confined to his small cell, with only legal visits permitted while MDC remains under lockdown. As his trial date approaches, the Bad Boy mogul faces an uncertain future, where his fate now rests in the hands of the court system.