Hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been placed on suicide watch at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) while awaiting trial he is awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges, People Magazine reported, quoting sources.
Combs, 54, was transferred to the MDC on September 17 after pleading not guilty and being denied bail twice. Although it is unclear whether he is suicidal, the report claimed that the suicide watch is a precautionary measure due to his shock and unstable mental state. The Department of Justice’s National Institute of Corrections defines suicide watch as "supervisory measures implemented for inmates at risk of suicide, requiring regular monitoring."
Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, had earlier requested that the rapper be moved to a facility in Essex County, New Jersey, but the Bureau of Prisons has the final decision.
There are currently 1,600 inmates living at MDC, many of whom are awaiting trial. The facility is known for being dangerous and understaffed, with multiple deaths and suicides reported. According to The Daily Beast, Combs' legal team stated that “several courts in this district have acknowledged that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center are unfit for pre-trial detention." They added, “Just this past summer, an inmate was murdered. Over the last three years, at least four inmates have died by suicide."
Diddy was arrested on the night of September 16 on charges relating to sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution.
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