An emergency notice was filed by Bernalillo County in federal court last week, after a ransomware attack affected the Metropolitan Detention Center. The incident made it impossible for the MDC to comply with terms of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit over the jail conditions. The attack impacted the offices and systems in a variety of country government operations, including county buildings and services which were closed until further notice. Consequently, the MDC has been unable to access cameras, the inmates’ time outside their cells has been restricted and their access to telephones and tables has been reduced.
The most concerning aspect of the incident is the inability to access cameras, as this is one of the main reasons the MDC is seen as non-compliant in the McClendon vs. City of Albuquerque lawsuit. As a result, the facility has been on lockdown since Wednesday, however jail officials were optimistic for progress to be made this week.
