Dozens of people gathered in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn's Sunset Park section Saturday to express outrage that inmates have been left without heat, electricity or hot water for the past week.

Several officials called the situation a crisis and said it's clear that the center's warden has no sense of urgency. News 12 was told that the contractor had left for the day.

People who gathered outside the center said they weren't leaving until power was restored. According to a worker and several people with loved ones inside, the center's power source went out on Jan. 27 and it has been dealing with a lack of heat and electricity.

Prison officials claim the inmates are receiving hot meals and water. But officials who went in and toured the facility say prison administration is not doing enough and has denied donations such as blankets and heaters.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez and other officials say that if the contractor does not come back to work before Monday, they are planning to go to court to ask a federal judge to move the inmates that the center houses.