"I don't regret using the facility at all," Ms. Gibbs said of the vacant jail, which is blocks from the intake unit.

Putting families in the House of Detention, he said, is "infinitely better" than letting them sleep on the floor of the intake unit.

You'd be surprised if you knew the number of people who come through there," he said, referring to the drug-abuse intake unit, "who live at 100 Terrace Avenue.

Fortunately, there exists a remedy to such problems: central intake units, places where addicts can go to get immediate attention.

And he would add 28 beds to Bellevue's intake unit.

The new expansion was completed in 2006 and consisted of 2 towers with three podular/direct supervision units, a new intake unit and connected the buildings.

In July 2010 the institute lost its federal certification for its adult intake unit.

Not Open to Public The intake units and the waiting areas are in parts of courthouses or police stations that are not public.

Inspector Walsh said the police had asked the District Attorney's office to close the intake unit because it had led to overcrowding and "security problems" at the station house.

None of the commercial buildings facing thc harbor appeared to have credit outlets, though all had intake units.