Jeffrey Epstein arrested in New York on child sex trafficking charges.

[Ralin]

And apparently they were short on staff and the guards had been working heavy overtime

(NEW YORK) — Guards on Jeffrey Epstein’s unit were working extreme overtime shifts to make up for staffing shortages the morning of his apparent suicide, a person familiar with the jail’s operations told The Associated Press.

The person said that the Metropolitan Correctional Center’s Special Housing Unit was staffed with one guard working a fifth straight day of overtime and another who was working mandatory overtime. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss jail operations publicly and spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity.

Epstein’s abrupt death cuts short a criminal prosecution that could have pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of a high-flying financier with connections to celebrities and presidents, though prosecutors have vowed to continue investigating.

The jail staff failed to follow protocols leading up to Epstein’s death , according to a report from The New York Times , deepening the fallout from what led to his apparent suicide.


Epstein should have been checked on by guards in his cell every 30 minutes, but that didn’t happen the night before his apparent suicide, a law enforcement official told the Times.

The Times spoke to the official on the condition of anonymity. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the information.

A law enforcement source also told the Times he was alone in his cell early Saturday after his cellmate was transferred. An official with knowledge of the investigation told the paper that the Justice Department was told Epstein would have a cellmate and be monitored by a guard every 30 minutes.

The mystery surrounding how he was able to kill himself in jail comes as investigators have been digging into allegations of sexual abuse and conspiracy against Epstein . An additional federal investigation was launched Saturday after the Federal Bureau of Prison said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at a high-security jail in Manhattan. He was later pronounced dead from an apparent suicide, the BOP said.

New York City’s chief medical examiner released a statement Sunday evening saying an autopsy has been performed on Epstein, but that more information is needed before a cause of death determination is made.

Dr. Barbara Sampson said a city medical examiner performed the autopsy Sunday while a private pathologist observed the examination at the request of Epstein’s representatives.

The private pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden, was the city’s chief medical examiner in the late 1970s and has been called as an expert witness in high-profile cases including by the defense at O.J. Simpson’s 1994 murder trial.

Sampson said having a private pathologist observe an autopsy is a routine practice.

Epstein had been placed on suicide watch after he was found a little over two weeks ago with bruising on his neck, according to a person familiar with the matter who wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly. But he was taken off the watch at the end of July and therefore wasn’t on it at the time of his death, the person said.

Attorney General William Barr, calling for an investigation by the FBI and the Justice Department’s inspector general’s office, said he was “appalled” to learn of Epstein’s death while in federal custody.

“Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” Barr said in a statement.

Epstein, 66, had been denied bail and faced up to 45 years behind bars on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges unsealed last month. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial.

The federal investigation into the allegations remains ongoing, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said. He noted in a statement Saturday that the indictment against Epstein includes a conspiracy charge, suggesting others could face charges in the case.

Epstein’s death raises questions about how the Bureau of Prisons ensures the welfare of such high-profile inmates. In October, Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger was killed in a federal prison in West Virginia where had just been transferred.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Saturday in a scathing letter to Barr that “heads must roll” after the incident.

“Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him,” Sasse wrote.

Epstein’s removal from suicide watch would have been approved by both the warden of the jail and the facility’s chief psychologist, said Jack Donson, a former prison official who worked for the Bureau of Prisons for more than two decades.

On Friday, more than 2,000 pages of documents were released related to a since-settled lawsuit against Epstein’s ex-girlfriend by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers. The records contain graphic allegations against Epstein, as well as the transcript of a 2016 deposition of Epstein in which he repeatedly refused to answer questions to avoid incriminating himself.

Giuffre, in an interview with The New York Times , said she’s grateful Epstein will never harm anyone again, but is angry that there would be no chance to see him answer for his conduct.

“We’ve worked so hard to get here, and he stole that from us, too,” she told the newspaper.

Sigrid McCawley, Giuffre’s attorney, said Epstein’s suicide less than 24 hours after the documents were unsealed “is no coincidence.” McCawley urged authorities to continue their investigation, focusing on Epstein associates who she said “participated and facilitated Epstein’s horrifying sex trafficking scheme.”

Epstein’s arrest drew national attention, particularly focusing on a deal that allowed Epstein to plead guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida and avoid more serious federal charges.

Federal prosecutors in New York reopened the probe after investigative reporting by The Miami Herald stirred outrage over that plea bargain.

His lawyers maintained that the new charges in New York were covered by the 2008 plea deal and that Epstein hadn’t had any illicit contact with underage girls since serving his 13-month sentence in Florida.

Before his legal troubles, Epstein led a life of extraordinary luxury that drew powerful people into his orbit. He socialized with princes and presidents, and lived on a 100-acre private Caribbean island and one of the biggest mansions in New York.

I had the same reaction as everyone else, but the fact is that American prison guards and staff really are callous and incompetent enough to let even a high profile prisoner like Epstein suicide for no other reason.

[The Romulan Republic]

Either way, the fact that any prisoner, much less one of this much importance in such a serious and politically consequential investigation, died like that in custody is yet another damning indictment of the US prison system.

EVERYONE involved in security around Epstein or evaluating his mental health should be thoroughly investigated, and anyone responsible should not only lose their job, but face criminal charges (for negligence, if nothing else) if they can make them stick.

Just imagine the effect on his victims, who suffered so horribly from his crimes, fought for years to bring him to justice, and are now cheated of that justice by, at best, incompetence, and at worst, corruption.

[Ralin]

Just imagine the effect on his victims, who suffered so horribly from his crimes, fought for years to bring him to justice, and are now cheated of that justice by, at best, incompetence, and at worst, corruption.

I find it odd that you think imprisoning him for his crimes was justice and that him either being killed or driven to kill himself for his crimes is somehow a lesser punishment. Sucks that he won't be put through a trial, but I'd totally settle for that as a way of making my abuser pay.

[The Romulan Republic]

Just imagine the effect on his victims, who suffered so horribly from his crimes, fought for years to bring him to justice, and are now cheated of that justice by, at best, incompetence, and at worst, corruption.

I find it odd that you think imprisoning him for his crimes was justice and that him either being killed or driven to kill himself for his crimes is somehow a lesser punishment. Sucks that he won't be put through a trial, but I'd totally settle for that as a way of making my abuser pay.

To me, justice and punishment are not synonymous terms. Perhaps death is a harsher punishment for Epstein (although if he committed suicide, Epstein evidently disagreed). But it is not justice.

In any case, its not what I think: its what a number of his accusers are saying:

https://msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/gloria-al ... 5842757960

Alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his jail cell, are responding in anguish, saying they would have preferred their day in court. Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents some of Epstein’s accusers, talks to MSNBC about how his accusers are reacting and what is next for the case.

You can debate whether suicide is a preferable fate to decades in prison- again, Epstein apparently thought so. But beyond that, there is the fact that his victims are now denied their day in court, and that they must face the possibility that the crimes of his co-conspirators will be buried with him.

[Mr Bean]

Justice is not his death, for Justice he needed to talk and confess and give up those that enabled him to live as wealthy child abuser and rapist for decades.

[Kamakazie Sith]

EVERYONE involved in security around Epstein or evaluating his mental health should be thoroughly investigated, and anyone responsible should not only lose their job, but face criminal charges (for negligence, if nothing else) if they can make them stick.

Highly unlikely since they were both understaffed and/or on day five of consecutive overtime. I often wonder what it is about people that makes them psychologically resistant about going after people in leadership positions like maybe those responsible for cutting the budget and/or those responsible for not ensuring the jail was adequately staffed. It does seem like people are like electricity and take the path of least resistance and go after the low hanging fruit in this case the overworked prison guards.

Just imagine the effect on his victims, who suffered so horribly from his crimes, fought for years to bring him to justice, and are now cheated of that justice by, at best, incompetence, and at worst, corruption.

Indeed. However, your solution is to create secondary victims and is therefore not a solution no matter how strong your ITG nerd is.

[The Romulan Republic]

EVERYONE involved in security around Epstein or evaluating his mental health should be thoroughly investigated, and anyone responsible should not only lose their job, but face criminal charges (for negligence, if nothing else) if they can make them stick.

Highly unlikely since they were both understaffed and/or on day five of consecutive overtime. I often wonder what it is about people that makes them psychologically resistant about going after people in leadership positions like maybe those responsible for cutting the budget and/or those responsible for not ensuring the jail was adequately staffed. It does seem like people are like electricity and take the path of least resistance and go after the low hanging fruit in this case the overworked prison guards.

Just imagine the effect on his victims, who suffered so horribly from his crimes, fought for years to bring him to justice, and are now cheated of that justice by, at best, incompetence, and at worst, corruption.

Indeed. However, your solution is to create secondary victims and is therefore not a solution no matter how strong your ITG nerd is.

Where did I say that recriminations should be limited to low-level workers and not the bosses? Hell, just a few posts up I criticized a Republican Senator for not holding AG Barr personally responsible.

As for the issue of budget cuts and those responsible for them, I refer you to everything I have ever posted about conservative economic policy, ever.

I'm used to jackasses on this board puffing themselves up and trying to score points by "calling me out" on things I never said, but maybe, you know, read my actual posts first?

[Kamakazie Sith]

Where did I say that recriminations should be limited to low-level workers and not the bosses? Hell, just a few posts up I criticized a Republican Senator for not holding AG Barr personally responsible.

Yes, that's my criticism of you. It should be JUST the bosses. Overworked people are not your enemy.

I'm used to jackasses on this board puffing themselves up and trying to score points by "calling me out" on things I never said, but maybe, you know, read my actual posts first?

Then I strongly recommend you stop being a jackass.

EDIT - Just a few posts above you talk about suspending innocent until proven guilty. Like seriously...where is your spine?

[The Romulan Republic]

Where did I say that recriminations should be limited to low-level workers and not the bosses? Hell, just a few posts up I criticized a Republican Senator for not holding AG Barr personally responsible.

Yes, that's my criticism of you. It should be JUST the bosses. Overworked people are not your enemy.

I said that the people responsible should be fired/prosecuted. I stand by that. If an investigation determines that the prison employees were not responsible because circumstances made it impossible to do their job, then so be it.

Then I strongly recommend you stop being a jackass.

"Its okay to willfully misrepresent your position, because I don't like you."

[The Romulan Republic]

EDIT - Just a few posts above you talk about suspending innocent until proven guilty. Like seriously...where is your spine?

"Innocent until proven guilty" is a legal principle, applied in a court room. In that context, it is a principle that I strongly and unconditionally support. It is not a right that applies to how one is perceived by the public, media, potential business partners, etc. To take another example, Donald Trump has never been convicted in a court room. There is a very real chance that he never will be. Nonetheless, anyone who has been paying the slightest bit of attention to his actions over the past three years, and has even a passing familiarity with US law, knows that he IS a criminal. And I can and will exercise my First Amendment rights by calling him one. Likewise, there are many celebrities with multiple rape allegations against them who have not been convicted in court. Nonetheless, private businesses can choose not to do business with them, and members of the public can choose to boycott their work, in response to their alleged crimes.

I said that alleged Epstein co-conspirators should be condemned in the court of public opinion (thus exposing them to financial and social reprecusions):

I will also add that, given the extreme credibility of the accusations against Epstein, and his prior conviction, anyone alleged to have participated in his crimes should be assumed guilty and punished accordingly in the court of public opinion, even if they never stand trial.

I did not say that they should be punished by the state without due process. Therefore, I did not "talk about suspending innocent until proven guilty."

Furthermore, as a law enforcement professional yourself, this distinction is one you should be well aware of. So I leave it to you to answer whether you are incompetent, or dishonest, when you falsely conflate the standard for conviction in a court of law with social and professional reprecussions in the court of public opinion.

[Kamakazie Sith]

"Innocent until proven guilty" is a legal principle, applied in a court room. In that context, it is a principle that I strongly and unconditionally support. It is not a right that applies to how one is perceived by the public, media, potential business partners, etc. To take another example, Donald Trump has never been convicted in a court room. There is a very real chance that he never will be. Nonetheless, anyone who has been paying the slightest bit of attention to his actions over the past three years, and has even a passing familiarity with US law, knows that he IS a criminal. And I can and will exercise my First Amendment rights by calling him one. Likewise, there are many celebrities with multiple rape allegations against them who have not been convicted in court. Nonetheless, private businesses can choose not to do business with them, and members of the public can choose to boycott their work, in response to their alleged crimes.

When people start talking about "legal principles" it tells me they do not understand the idea behind it. I do not care whether it is a right or not. What I care about is victimizing innocent people and you unavoidably do when you start allowing the court a public opinion, mob rule, etc to deliver your justice for you.

Those people implicated in the Epstein are not as well

I said that alleged Epstein co-conspirators should be condemned in the court of public opinion (thus exposing them to financial and social reprecusions):

I know what you said. You condemned those people alleged to have participated in these crimes because the evidence against Epstein is extremely credible. However, is the evidence against those others just as credible? If so, how did you make this determination since A) the trial never happened. B) you have not seen all the evidence. C) Epstein was the only one in jail.

I will also add that, given the extreme credibility of the accusations against Epstein, and his prior conviction, anyone alleged to have participated in his crimes should be assumed guilty and punished accordingly in the court of public opinion, even if they never stand trial.

I did not say that they should be punished by the state without due process. Therefore, I did not "talk about suspending innocent until proven guilty."

I never said you did in regards to the state. Also, yes you did talk about it. You've just spun it so you feel good about it. EDIT - To be clear...your spin is the whole "it's just a legal principle it doesn't apply to us out here! Hehehe"

Furthermore, as a law enforcement professional yourself, this distinction is one you should be well aware of. So I leave it to you to answer whether you are incompetent, or dishonest, when you falsely conflate the standard for conviction in a court of law with social and professional reprecussions in the court of public opinion.

None of the above. D) You consider innocent until proven guilty more than just a legal principle. You consider it a safe guard against victimizing innocent people whether by the state or not.

I said that the people responsible should be fired/prosecuted. I stand by that. If an investigation determines that the prison employees were not responsible because circumstances made it impossible to do their job, then so be it.

Good.

"Its okay to willfully misrepresent your position, because I don't like you."

I wish that were the case. I'm just done with the ITG of this damn board. Sacrificing civilized ideals so you can get your revenge boner off.

[The Romulan Republic]

You misconstrue my motives. This is not just tough-guy posturing, nor is it about revenge. Its about the realization that rape cases in particular have a long history of accusations being disbelieved or swept under the rug, especially when the accused is a wealthy, powerful man. And that sometimes the only justice the victims can get is that their abuser suffers some measure of social stigma for their crimes.

Should people be condemned by the state without due process? No, absolutely not, not ever. That sets a precedent which can and will be used by authoritarians to expand their power and destroy their enemies. But people do have the right to call out people they believe to be guilty, and to refuse to associate with them, regardless of whether a court system that has a notorious history of failing rape victims, and of shielding the wealthy and powerful, has found them guilty.

[Zaune]

Besides all that, Epstein was just one player in a very large criminal enterprise which is still operating. He had inside information that federal and state law-enforcement organisations could have used to at minimum inflict severe harm on that organisation, and maybe he would have given it up in return for leniency.

As things stand, the investigation is almost back to Square One. I just hope he shared something useful with his lawyer, who is probably no longer bound by attorney-client privilege nopw that his client is dead.

[houser2112]

I just hope he shared something useful with his lawyer, who is probably no longer bound by attorney-client privilege nopw that his client is dead.

I wouldn't hold your breath.

The privilege generally stays in effect even after the attorney-client relationship ends, and even after the client dies. In other words, the lawyer can never divulge the client’s secrets without the client’s permission, unless some kind of exception (see below) applies. (United States v. White, 970 F.2d 328 (7th Cir. 1992); Swidler & Berlin v. United States, 524 U.S. 399 (1998).)

[The Romulan Republic]

Yeah, attorney-client privilege is pretty dam strict.

[Gandalf]

Where did I say that recriminations should be limited to low-level workers and not the bosses? Hell, just a few posts up I criticized a Republican Senator for not holding AG Barr personally responsible.

Yes, that's my criticism of you. It should be JUST the bosses. Overworked people are not your enemy.

Just following orders?

[Vendetta]

Where did I say that recriminations should be limited to low-level workers and not the bosses? Hell, just a few posts up I criticized a Republican Senator for not holding AG Barr personally responsible.

Yes, that's my criticism of you. It should be JUST the bosses. Overworked people are not your enemy.

Just following orders?

It sounds more like "not following orders properly because people can't work for that long in high stress environments on a consistent basis without error but budget cuts have caused everyone to be doing it because there aren't enough staff".

This is a case where the shit should splash both high and wide. As far up the chain as knew about the working conditions in the jail, up to the politicians in control of their budgets.

[Kamakazie Sith]

You misconstrue my motives. This is not just tough-guy posturing, nor is it about revenge. Its about the realization that rape cases in particular have a long history of accusations being disbelieved or swept under the rug, especially when the accused is a wealthy, powerful man. And that sometimes the only justice the victims can get is that their abuser suffers some measure of social stigma for their crimes.

It certainly sounded that way to me. However, I understand the frustration with the justice system especially in regards to victims of sexual assault so thank you for clarifying. That being said I don't think that is justification to rely on the court of public opinion or mob rule.

Should people be condemned by the state without due process? No, absolutely not, not ever. That sets a precedent which can and will be used by authoritarians to expand their power and destroy their enemies. But people do have the right to call out people they believe to be guilty, and to refuse to associate with them, regardless of whether a court system that has a notorious history of failing rape victims, and of shielding the wealthy and powerful, has found them guilty.

I understand your position but consider that doing so has almost as much potential to ruin the life of an innocent person as the state. The whole concept behind innocent until proven guilty is so those instances are reduced and the court of public opinion is often wrong so embracing such a concept as a society would lead to a rise. I mean just look how bad the current system is even though innocent until proven guilty is one of the principles.

Just following orders?

You're right to call me out on this given how my post was worded.

No, a thorough investigation should be done and if they were direct participants in a crime or making it possible for him to suicide himself then they should be charged and/or fired.

Vendetta has it spot on. In my career I have seen high ranking people and politicians skate away from accountability without even being mentioned despite owning more of the responsibility for the incident than the actual participant. I'm just fed up.

[The Romulan Republic]

Looks like someone posted details of Epstein's death and attempts to resuscitate him to 4chan nearly 40 minutes before his death was officially announced:

https://gizmodo.com/someone-posted-deta ... 1837208842

Over half an hour before ABC News first reported that sex offender and accused human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein had been found unresponsive in his Manhattan prison cell, alleged details of his death appeared on anonymous message board 4Chan, Buzzfeed reported.

“dont ask me how I know, but Epstein died an hour ago from hanging, cardiac arrest. Screencap this,” the post, published at 8:16 a.m. ET on Saturday, stated. It was initially met with skepticism by other anonymous users on the site’s /pol/—short for “politically incorrect”—board, a subsection of 4Chan known for its affiliations with Trump, white supremacy, and other far-right ideologies. As a result of these associations, /Pol/ was particularly involved in spreading the Pizzagate and Qanon conspiracies, both of which circle around allegations of child sex trafficking at the highest levels of political power and have led to real-world incidents with armed individuals.

According to a statement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at a New York detention facility at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. He was pronounced dead at a hospital sometime later that morning. ABC News reporter Aaron Katersky first tweeted about Epstein’s death at 8:54 a.m. ET on Saturday, while ABC News itself published its first tweet about the incident two minutes before 9 a.m.

In the first of five subsequent posts, which share the initial post’s ID, the author added additional alleged details, including shorthand terminology related to cardiac arrest and treatment that might be familiar to an emergency medical technician: “worked asystole arrest for 40 minutes, als intubated in the field/epi/2 liters NS infused. Telemetry advised bicarb and D50 in field. Pt transported to Lower Manhattan ER and worked for 20 minutes and called. Hospital administrator was alerted, preparing statements.”

Another post in the thread, published under an auto-generated ID different from that of the original poster, lays out other alleged details of the incident but quickly veers into conspiracy-theory territory, claiming that a van allegedly used to transport Epstein “did NOT sign in and we did not record the plate number and a guy in a green dress military outfit was in the back of the van according to the tower guy who let him thru the gate.” It’s impossible to verify whether they were posted by the same author.

It’s within the realm of possibility the initial poster simply “got lucky” by claiming to have specific knowledge when he or she did, less than an hour before news of Epstein’s death became public. As for the claims that followed, those are potentially falsified, and the New York Fire Department is unable to confirm or deny them as doing so would be a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Still, the possibility of an FDNY first responder breaching confidentiality to post specific patient information has caused the FDNY to open a “review,” according to BuzzFeed reporter Jane Lytvynenko.

4Chan has been involved in false predictions over the years, such as the notion an anonymous poster presaged the Las Vegas mass shooting in which a gunman killed 58 people and wounded over 400. Unfortunately, the site has also hosted coded hints about 2017's Westminster shooting, threats of violence that turned out to be sincere, and at least two instances where murder victims had photos of their bodies posted to the 4Chan by their killers.

Until the coroner’s report on Epstein is released, the veracity of these anonymous posts remains unknown.

On a Trump/white supremacy-associated board which has repeatedly pushed Alt. Reich conspiracy theories branding Democrats as pedophiles, no less. Yeah, that's not remotely suspicious.

https://theguardian.com/us-news/2019/au ... ide-prison

News that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead on Saturday morning in his jail cell has raised questions of how a high-profile suspect was able to apparently kill himself inside one of the country’s most high-security prisons.

Epstein, who was arrested in July for the alleged sex trafficking of minors, died at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, located in downtown New York City. The FBI and DoJ have launched investigations into Epstein’s death.

With a lack of answers coming from prison officials, conspiracy theories flourished on social media over the weekend with #EpsteinMurder trending worldwide.

Citing ongoing investigations into Epstein’s death, the Bureau of Prisons has been hush about specific details that led to the former financier’s apparent suicide, leaving only a few known facts in a pool of unanswered questions.

What we know about Epstein’s death
The Bureau of Prisons has released only one official statement since Epstein’s death on Saturday. The statement confirmed that around 6:30 am on 10 August, Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Special Housing Unit of the prison “from an apparent suicide”. The Bureau of Prisons has not released any further information .

What we know about the federal prison where Epstein died
The Metropolitan Correction Center is no stranger to high-profile prisoners.

Along with a laundry list of former mob bosses and con men, violent Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was held in the Manhattan prison until July, when he was transferred to a maximum-security prison in Colorado.

The conditions of the prison are a far cry from the plushy life that Epstein was accustomed to leading up to his arrest.

In a statement released via his attorney, Guzmán – who had escaped high-security prisons in Mexico twice before – called his two years at Metropolitan Correctional Center “torture”, citing bright 24-hour lights and little access to human interaction or the outside world.

“I’ve been forced to drink unsanitary water. I’ve been denied access to fresh air and sunlight. The only sunlight I have in my cell comes through in the air vent,” he wrote in a statement.

Suicides at the high-security prison are rare, though it’s unclear how many attempts have been made in the past. In a review of published reports of suicides at the Manhattan prison, the New York Post reported that the latest suicide was in 1998 involving a Philadelphia drug lord.

What we don’t know
The official cause of Epstein’s death

While the DoJ says that Epstein’s death was an “apparent suicide”, New York’s chief medical examiner Medical Examiner hasn’t confirmed that suicide was the cause of death.

In a statement released to the media on Sunday, Barbara Sampson, the city’s chief medical examiner, said that the office’s “determination is pending further information at this time”.

“My office defers to the involved law enforcement agencies regarding other investigations around this death,” the statement said.

The circumstances around Epstein’s death

Authorities have not officially confirmed multiple reports that Epstein was put on suicide watch after his alleged suicide attempt in July and that he was taken off suicide watch by the time of his death.

Anonymous sources said that Epstein was supposed to be checked on by two guards every 30 minutes and he was supposed to have another inmate in the cell with him. Instead, Epstein was allegedly not checked on for several hours, and his former inmate was transferred, leaving Epstein alone and unmonitored. These reports have not been officially confirmed by authorities.

The union representing correctional officers at the Metropolitan Correctional Center has offered up some potential causes of the negligence. Union representatives say that circumstances around Epstein’s death were likely caused, in part, by staffing shortages at the prison.

Serene Gregg, the head of the local government employees union that organizes correctional officers at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, told the Washington Post that the prison had been functioning with less than 70% of the needed correctional officers, with many being forced to work 60- to 70-hour work weeks.

An anonymous source told the Associated Press that both guards working at Epstein’s unit were working overtime, one for a fifth day straight.

Whether there were cameras in Epstein’s cell

It’s unclear whether Epstein was under video surveillance at the time of his death.

Preet Bharara who, as former US attorney for the Southern District of New York, worked next door to the federal prison, said on Twitter that “there should be – and almost certainly is – video of Epstein’s suicide at MCC. One hopes it is complete, conclusive, and secured.”

But Eric Young, president of the national council of union chapters that cover prison employees, told the New York Times that Epstein was likely not under surveillance.

Young said there are cameras in the hallways and common areas of the prison – “from the moment you walk onto that property, you are under camera surveillance”, he said – but not the individual cell unit where Epstein was held.

Other anonymous officials have told media outlets there was no video surveillance.

Preet Bharara who, as former US attorney for the Southern District of New York, worked next door to the federal prison, said on Twitter that “there should be – and almost certainly is – video of Epstein’s suicide at MCC. One hopes it is complete, conclusive, and secured.”

But Eric Young, president of the national council of union chapters that cover prison employees, told the New York Times that Epstein was likely not under surveillance.

Young said there are cameras in the hallways and common areas of the prison – “from the moment you walk onto that property, you are under camera surveillance”, he said – but not the individual cell unit where Epstein was held.

Other anonymous officials have told media outlets there was no video surveillance.

The guards not checking in could be put down to overwork. The cell not being under video surveillance, and his roommate being transferred shortly before his death? Sure, it could all be coincidence. But there are definitely serious questions to be asked here.

[The Romulan Republic]

You misconstrue my motives. This is not just tough-guy posturing, nor is it about revenge. Its about the realization that rape cases in particular have a long history of accusations being disbelieved or swept under the rug, especially when the accused is a wealthy, powerful man. And that sometimes the only justice the victims can get is that their abuser suffers some measure of social stigma for their crimes.

It certainly sounded that way to me. However, I understand the frustration with the justice system especially in regards to victims of sexual assault so thank you for clarifying. That being said I don't think that is justification to rely on the court of public opinion or mob rule.

Should people be condemned by the state without due process? No, absolutely not, not ever. That sets a precedent which can and will be used by authoritarians to expand their power and destroy their enemies. But people do have the right to call out people they believe to be guilty, and to refuse to associate with them, regardless of whether a court system that has a notorious history of failing rape victims, and of shielding the wealthy and powerful, has found them guilty.

I understand your position but consider that doing so has almost as much potential to ruin the life of an innocent person as the state. The whole concept behind innocent until proven guilty is so those instances are reduced and the court of public opinion is often wrong so embracing such a concept as a society would lead to a rise. I mean just look how bad the current system is even though innocent until proven guilty is one of the principles.

Its not an easy issue. I'm well aware of how someone's life can be ruined by a false accusation even without being convicted in court, and my thinking until recently was more in line with your's. The issue of rapists escaping justice while the victims have their lives ruined, in particular, shifted my thinking on this issue.

But I also think two of the most fundamental rights are the right to freedom of belief/expression, and the right to freedom of association (which includes the right to not associate with someone we regard as despicable or dangerous). That's all I'm advocating for. Not for mobs stringing people up in the town square. Just the right (and, I would argue, the responsibility) to exercise our judgment as individuals, to speak out when we see someone escaping justice, and to choose who we want to associate with and do business with.

[The Romulan Republic]

More details:

https://nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prison ... e-n1041121

Even before his first suspected suicide try last month, Jeffrey Epstein was perhaps the most vulnerable man in the federal jail system: a wealthy and well-known financier accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. He was, by all accounts, the kind of inmate who should have been under the closest possible supervision.

Instead, Epstein was taken off suicide watch in the days before he apparently took his own life, officials told NBC News, a decision that baffled former wardens and veterans of the federal prison system.

"For them to pull him off suicide watch is shocking,” Cameron Lindsay, a former warden who worked at three federal facilities, told NBC News. “For someone this high-profile, with these allegations and this many victims, who has had a suicide attempt in the last few weeks, you can take absolutely no chances.”

Epstein, 66, was placed on suicide watch after he was found passed out in his jail cell with marks on his neck inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center on July 23, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The conditions would have required him to be moved to a special bare-bones cell where he would be outfitted in a tear-resistant one-piece smock and receive stepped-up observation from a staffer or inmate posted outside, according to Lindsay and sources familiar with Epstein’s case.

But Epstein’s status was changed sometime in the last two weeks for reasons that remain unknown, officials told NBC News. Sources familiar with the case say Epstein underwent a psychiatric evaluation and the decision was made to clear him from suicide watch on or around July 29 and returned to a cell in the Special Housing Unit (SHU.) The decision would normally have to have been authorized by the jail’s suicide prevention program coordinator, who is ordinarily the institution’s chief psychologist, and approved by the warden.

“Once an inmate has been placed on watch, the watch may not be terminated, under any circumstance, without the program coordinator or designee performing a face-to-face evaluation,” according to the federal Bureau of Prisons official guidelines issued in 2007.

Epstein was discovered inside his cell about 6:30 a.m., and some union officials noted that many facilities operate with limited staffing overnight. The local federal prison union head in New York has previously complained about staffing shortages at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

The FBI is investigating the case, law enforcement officials told NBC News. The Bureau of Prisons will also launch an internal “after-action” probe, according to department veterans.

Multiple people briefed on the investigation say that officials will want to know if correction officers conducted routine checks on inmates including Epstein as required. Checks on inmates are supposed to take place every 30 minutes or so, but there are questions if there was a delay the night Epstein died. It is still unclear how long a gap there was from the time of the last check of Epstein and when he was found dying.

“It’s too early to say what I think should happen, but if this did occur as we believe that it did, some staff are going to have some hard questions to answer,” said Lindsay, who served as warden at the nearby Metropolitan Detention Center from 2007 to 2009.

Bob Hood, a former federal Bureau of Prisons chief of internal affairs and former warden at the ADX Florence "supermax" prison in Colorado, said he also was perplexed by the decision to remove the suicide safeguards.

“Under the circumstances, I would have a staff member sitting there or have a camera on him 24/7 while he was in my custody, purely to cover my butt,” Hood said. “I know that sounds tacky, but this is not your average inmate.”

Attorney General William Barr issued a statement expressing concern over the case, saying he was appalled and that Epstein’s death “raises serious questions that must be answered.”

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., used far starker language in a scathing letter to Barr.

“Every single person in the Justice Department — from your main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him," Sasse said.

"Given Epstein’s previous attempted suicide, he should have been locked in a padded room under unbroken, 24/7, constant surveillance. Obviously, heads must roll.”

Epstein has been held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center since July 6, when he was arrested on charges of trafficking and sexually abusing girls as young as 14 in the early 2000s. He was facing up to 45 years in prison if convicted on two counts of sex trafficking and conspiracy.

Epstein’s lawyers requested that he be allowed to await trial under house arrest at his $77 million Manhattan mansion, but a judge denied the request.

The MCC, as the facility is known, houses 763 inmates and is considered one of the harshest federal detention centers in the country. Epstein paid his lawyers to visit him nearly every day, allowing him to leave his cell and spend much of the day at a room designated for attorney meetings, according to sources familiar with his case.

Jack Donson, a former longtime federal Bureau of Prisons case manager, told NBC News that suicide watch in federal lockup "usually only lasts a few days to a week" due to the amount of manpower the 24-hour surveillance entails.

"It requires staff to do overtime shifts," Donson said, and is "not considered a good use of resources."

Federal staff members will "make an assessment" about when they believe that "imminent danger" to the inmate has passed, and then the warden and chief psychologist make a determination about what to do with the inmate, Donson said.

Epstein had been placed in the MCC's Special Housing Unit instead of general population for his own safety, given his notoriety, and Donson noted that incidents of suicide are higher in the SHU.

"You're isolated with your own thoughts," he said, "and it's not as monitored and supervised."

Guards are supposed to check on prisoners every 30 minutes, but sometimes aren't diligent about doing so, Donson said, and regardless, inmates "can do themselves a lot of harm in 30 minutes."

He also raised the question of whether Epstein was in a cell with a camera, because some cells in the MCC have them. Officials will also review the range camera outside the cell to make sure guards had indeed been checking on him.

Joe Rojas, a union leader and guard at a federal correctional center in Florida, told NBC News he was shocked to learn that Epstein was not on a 24-hour suicide watch given his previous attempt and high-profile status.

"You don't have to be a psychologist,” Rojas said. “It's commonsense.”

Epstein’s suicide has led some involved in his case to wonder whether he received outside help.

“It simply does not make common sense that Jeffrey Epstein was not on suicide watch,” said Jack Scarola, a lawyer who represents seven of Epstein’s alleged victims. “And it does not make commonsense that if he was on suicide watch, he could have successfully taken his own life unless he had some outside help.”

Epstein's death marks the second high-profile black eye for the Bureau of Prisons in less than a year. James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious Boston gangster, was beaten to death last October within hours of being transferred to the general population unit of a West Virginia penitentiary.

"This reminds me of the Bulger thing," Hood, the former Colorado supermax prison warden, said. "Is there a way this could have been avoided? The answer is yes."

Until last month, Mexican cartel chief Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was also held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Guzman's lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman told NBC News that he was leaving the facility after a visit in July when he spotted "a flash of silver" in the room reserved for attorney meetings.

“I looked over and there was Epstein,” said Lichtman, who had caught a glimpse of the accused child sex predator’s silver hair.

“It was pathetic. It was sad. He looked like an animal trapped in a cage.”

There are also rumours going around that the cameras "malfunctioned" shortly before his death, though to my knowledge these are unconfirmed.

There's going to be a lot of fact news swirling around this case for a long time, unfortunately. Sadly, it almost doesn't matter what the facts are now. If anything other than a murder verdict is ultimately returned in his death, even if the facts ultimately justify it, who the hell is going to trust it?

[Zaune]

On a Trump/white supremacy-associated board which has repeatedly pushed Alt. Reich conspiracy theories branding Democrats as pedophiles, no less. Yeah, that's not remotely suspicious.

I thought that was 8chan, which seems to have started off as a splinter group created by people thrown off the original board for being too annoying with the Nazi infestation coming later. 4chan trend more Chaotic Neutral than alt-right, on average. And are famous for really, really hating child molesters.

[The Romulan Republic]

On a Trump/white supremacy-associated board which has repeatedly pushed Alt. Reich conspiracy theories branding Democrats as pedophiles, no less. Yeah, that's not remotely suspicious.

I thought that was 8chan, which seems to have started off as a splinter group created by people thrown off the original board for being too annoying with the Nazi infestation coming later. 4chan trend more Chaotic Neutral than alt-right, on average. And are famous for really, really hating child molesters.

Hating child molesters, and peddling theories that Democrats are child molesters, aren't necessarily contradictory.

[The Romulan Republic]

Two guards suspended, and the warden reassigned:

https://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49323327

Two prison guards have been suspended and a warden temporarily reassigned at the New York City jail where Jeffrey Epstein died of suspected suicide.

It comes after the FBI opened an investigation into the death of Epstein, who was facing prosecution for sex trafficking when he was found dead.

The suspension, ordered by Attorney General William Barr, came a day after he criticised the jail's "failure".

The circumstance surrounding the financier's death has raised questions.

It remains unclear why Epstein was taken off suicide watch after an attempted suicide last month. He also was supposed to have been checked in on by a guard every 30 minutes.

Before his downfall, Epstein had previously counted many prominent rich and powerful people, including Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, as friends.

What did the Department of Justice say?
In a statement, Mr Barr "directed the Bureau of Prisons to temporarily assign" warden Lamine N'Diaye to a regional office, pending a full investigation.

He will be replaced by James Petrucci, the warden of the federal prison in Otisville, New York.

Epstein faced up to 45 years in jail if convicted
Two other staff members who were assigned to Epsteins' unit at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) have also been placed on leave.

"Additional actions may be taken as the circumstances warrant," the statement added.

Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
On Tuesday, a union official for workers at the jail told the Washington Post that one of the guards on Epstein's unit on Saturday - when he died - was not a regular correctional officer, but rather another form of prison employee who was directed to operate as a guard due to staffing shortages.

Both guards working on his unit were working overtime shifts, but it's unclear whether they were doing so voluntarily.

The union representing federal prison guards, the American Federation of Government Employees Council of Prison Locals, said in a statement after Epstein's death that many guards are forced to work overtime.

In a statement provided to BBC News, the organisation's president Eric Young said prison employees who are not correctional officers - such as teachers, nurses, clerical workers - are often made to guard inmates due to a process known as "augmentation".

What has Trump said?
President Donald Trump told reporters in New Jersey on Tuesday: "I want a full investigation, and that's what I absolutely am demanding.

"That's what our attorney general, our great attorney general, is doing. He's doing a full investigation."

He also defended his decision to retweet conspiracy theory that suggested that the Clinton family had Epstein killed.

"He's a very highly respected conservative pundit," Mr Trump said of comedian Terrence K Williams, who wrote the original post.

"He's a big Trump fan. And that was a retweet. That wasn't from me… So I think I was fine."


Media caption'Any co-conspirators should not rest easy'
The order comes one day after Mr Barr said he was "frankly angry to learn of the MCC's failure to adequately secure this prisoner."

He added: "We will get to the bottom of what happened and there will be accountability."

I'd like to believe that these decisions were made based on the facts of the case, and represent a sincere desire to see justice done, rather than token moves done to create the appearance that they'er taking this as seriously as they should be. But hell will freeze over before I believe that William "Total Exoneration" Barr is on the level in a case that could potentially have seen his Fuhrer exposed as a child rapist in mid-election.

[The Romulan Republic]

Guards are suspected of falsify logs on when they checked Epstein:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5762859/jeff ... gs-checks/

A person familiar with the probe of Jeffrey Epstein‘s death at a federal jail says guards are suspected of falsifying log entries to show they were checking on inmates in his unit every half hour, when they actually weren’t.

Epstein is believed to have killed himself early Saturday at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, where he was awaiting trial in a sex trafficking case.

Surveillance video reviewed after the death showed guards never made some of the checks noted in the log, according to the person familiar with the investigation.

The person wasn’t authorized to disclose information and spoke to The Associated Press Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

The Justice Department said earlier Tuesday that two guards assigned to watch Epstein had been placed on administrative leave.

So yeah. My position on this is moving more and more from "well, its suspicious, but let's keep an open mind" to "Suicide my fucking ass".

The absolute best case scenario, if this is true, is that the guards were falsifying records to hide their failure to do their jobs properly. Every other option is much, much worse.