[Music] Boats, they're like planes for if the sky was wet. Now, normally boats are for taking people to places they want to go, but sometimes boats are for keeping people in a place they don't want to be. And it's in that spirit that I introduce you to New York's hottest prison barge, the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center. And when I say hottest, I mean that it's stiflingly hot in the barge because of overcrowding and poor ventilation. Also called the boat because apparently we live in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Vernon Seabane Correctional Center is an 800-bed jail barge that was named, quote, the world's largest prison barge by Guinness World Records in 2014 because apparently Guinness has decided to go really dark in recent years. Now, prison ships have a long history, mainly traced back to 18th century Britain where they use boats to contain both British criminals and American prisoners of War. During the Revolution, one fun fact is that more Americans died on British

prison ships than in battles because they got really seasick, and also regular sick, and also starved. Another fun fact is that prison ships have been used in 19th century Australia, by Nazi Germany, and in the modern era by both Chile and the Philippines to hold political prisoners. And a final fun fact is that in seemingly most instances throughout history, prison ships have had high death rates due to heat, overcrowding, and disease. So how did New York City end up with the world's second most depressing cruise ship? Well, you see, back in the 1980s, New York City was seeing its prison population boom for totally chill, normal, non-problematic reasons. So New York mayor and honorary fourth Stooge at Coke decided that instead of putting fewer people in prison, we needed to of course build more prisons. The problem was, people might not want new prisons built in the neighborhoods where they live, but you know where nobody lives? The East River. So they put the prisons there instead, bringing in two former British prison ships called Bibby Resolution and Bibby

Venture, because who says you can't give a horrific thing a silly name, converting two Staten Island ferries into prisons, which was easy as they were already gateways to Staten Island, which is essentially a prison, and commissioning the building of the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center from Avondale Shipyard, all while not realizing or willfully ignoring the historical parallels of forcibly putting a group of disproportionately black men onto a ship. In 1992, 18 months late, $10.35 million dollars of her budget, the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center was towed 1800 nautical miles by Tugboat from Louisiana, entering through the Long Island Sound and being dumped off the shore of the not yet gentrified Hunts Point, basically because it was the place that did the least protesting when they tried to put it there. The boat consists of five stories with 16 dormitories and 100 cells and can house up to 870 inmates. On the top level, it's got a full gym with a

basketball court and weights. There are three chapels, a medical facility, and a library, although none of these amenities have seemed to convince the inmates to stay aboard. Their all expenses is paid Crews. There have been several attempted escapes, including one where the escapee had to be fished out of the East River by police watercraft. Apparently, for the first decade of operation, the Coast Guard monitored the barge until 2002 when, according to the boat's first Captain John Klump, the Coast Guard finally accepted the reality that it was de facto a jail and not a boat, a quote that comes from John Klum's very real book, An Ordinary Guy, An Extraordinary Tale: My Life and Times. Now, while it's interesting that there's a giant floating prison in New York City, what's arguably more interesting is why is there still a giant floating prison in New York City? Because the thing about the boat is that it sucks, like a lot, like more than a prison is typically supposed to suck. And it was brought in

as a supposedly temporary measure 30 years ago, back in the late 80s when the boat was ordered, the daily prison population at Rikers Island was 22,000. At capacity and expected to grow. But by 1995, New York City's prison populations had decreased and Bane was actually closed. Good news lasted about one year until then Mayer and now star 4 at 2, Rudy Giuliani, implemented an extensive plan to jail more drug buyers and dealers, and prisons filled back thanks to America's mayor. But since 2000, prison populations in New York City have been steadily declining and now sit at around 5,500 daily prisoners, one quarter of the number in 1989 that necessitated building Vernon C. Bain Correctional. While officials have long discussed closing pain as well as Rikers, for a long time nothing was done largely because closing prisons is a relatively difficult thing to do, and because New York has a long history of temporary things becoming permanent just look at sidewalk sheds or the Wall Street bowl.

or having mayors that suck, all supposedly temporary, yet they've all lasted for decades. In October of 2019, though, the New York City Council voted to close both Bain and Rikers by 2026, replacing them with a smaller burrow-based prison system that the city says will be, quote, built on a foundation of dignity and respect, which admittedly does seem better than the current system, which is built on a foundation of a landfill. But none of that is important. Do you want to know what is important? Half as Interesting has filmed a live-action adventure game show where I run around the country across 72 hours committing crimes, and my writers chase after me in an attempt to stop me. It's called Half as Interesting Crimes for You, and the first episode will be up on February 16th, in two weeks. And while I don't have time to show the teaser trailer again, I do want you to check out the title sequence. And the only way to see the incredible series that comes after that title

sequence is on Nebula, the streaming site built by me and all my Creator friends. The best way to get Nebula is with the absurdly low-priced Nebula curiosity stream bundle. It's 15 a year right now, by the way, where you also get access to Curiosity Stream, the incredible documentary streaming site where Wendover Productions will imminently release a brand new documentary, The Colorado Problem: A River in the Red. So click the button on screen or go to curiositystream.com Hai to get the bundle and watch The Colorado Problem and Hai's crime spree or else.

Why There is a Giant Floating Prison In New York City

Education-y explainer videos that are almost good enough to watch.