Bayview Correctional Facility


Bayview Correctional Facility was a medium-security women's prison located at the south corner of West 20th Street and 11th Avenue in Manhattan, directly across the avenue from the Chelsea Piers sports complex. It is highly unusual to find a state penitentiary in the middle of a major city.

History

Bayview consisted of one large building and did not have grounds and a fenced perimeter. Covering the entire south wall of Bayview is the "Venus", a mural painted by New York artist Knox Martin in 1970. Venus was commissioned by Doris Freedman of CityWalls.
Today, Venus is almost entirely obscured by the neighboring building 100 Eleventh Avenue, completed in 2010.
Featured on the New York State Correction Officer Informational Page's "History of Bayview" is the following statement:
Before Superstorm Sandy hit in October 2012, Bayview's 153 prisoners were evacuated and sent to other facilities. The building sustained $600,000 as a result of storm damage and remained closed due to NYS Budgetary reasons. The building will be sold.