Arthur Kill Correctional Facility, Staten Island Prison, Might House Residents Displaced By Sandy

A Staten Island prison with a colorful-if-unfortunate reputation may soon house borough residents displaced by Hurricane Sandy, the New York Post reports.

The medium-security facility, which closed last December, has the capacity to house and feed 900 people, according to Gothamist.

But some residents aren't too fond of the plan.

"I lost everything, but I still have my pride. We don’t have to stay in a prison,” displaced resident Wally Martinez told the New York Post.

But with 5,200 Staten Islanders who have applied for FEMA aid in the wake of the storm that devastated the borough, sheltering in the prison could prove to be an effective temporary measure.

Aside from the stigma of staying at the former slammer, the jail does pose its own set of challenges. The Staten Island Advance reports that the facility currently lacks heat, but that problem could be remedied with generators.

Peter Cutler, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections, told the Post that the prison's major infrastructure -- such as boilers and wastewater -- were shut down when it was closed. Those would have to be restored to make it habitable.