Are incompetent prison guards to blame for Jeffrey Epstein’s death?
A big part of the reason for all the conspiracies surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death is the lack of evidence. The security footage outside his cell conveniently went missing. The guards outside his cell also vacated the area before his apparent suicide. With many people believing these circumstances point to a conspiracy, could it be incompetence?
The New York Dept. of Corrections believes it. The two on-duty guards, Michael Thomas and Tova Noel were charged months ago for falsifying records & conspiracy regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s death. They were supposed to check on Epstein every thirty minutes per prison regulations. While they logged that they monitored Epstein every half-hour, they really didn’t.
Security footage that didn’t go missing showed the pair surfing the internet and walking around the common area for eight hours without a check. According to their indictment, from 10:30 until 6:30 when Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell, the guards were videoed in other areas of the prison.
“The Tombs”
The Metropolitan Detention Center where Jeffrey Epstein was held has the nickname “The Tombs” owed to allegedly horrific conditions and tight security. The MDC housed many high-profile criminals, including Mexican drug lord El Chapo, known for his many escapes.
Security in solitary confinement is notably tight at the MDC. Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend, and alleged accomplice, is in solitary confinement awaiting trial. She’s monitored 24/7 to the point where she & her lawyers argue that her confinement interferes with her ability to get a fair trial.
Ghislaine Maxwell was on suicide watch when she first arrived at the MDC. She was only given paper clothes and coverings that couldn’t break. Granted, this was after Jeffrey Epstein’s death, so the MDC isn’t taking chances with Maxwell.
When Epstein was found dead in his cell
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at 6:30 AM on August 10, 2019. When he was found dead, one of the guards that was supposed to check in on him was at the end of a double-shift lasting sixteen hours. Video footage of the guards showed one of them sleeping for two hours.
Jeffrey Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell and rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. When the guards were questioned following the incident, one guard claimed they made “no rounds” that night. However, they logged that they checked on Epstein every thirty minutes, landing them with a falsifying records charge.
Jeffrey Epstein was in a special housing unit due to an earlier suicide attempt two weeks before. He was supposed to be monitored around the clock with personal and video surveillance.
Missing video
According to an August 2019 investigation, the CCTV outside of Jeffrey Epstein’s cell at his death was “unusable.” While a second camera had usable footage, neither surveillance has been released, nor is anyone sure of what’s on it.
Fifteen prison guards were also subpoenaed during the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s death. The MDC warden and Bureau of Prisons head were fired & resigned over Epstein’s death. A Senate probe was conducted into the handling of Epstein’s death as well.
“This incident was a black eye on the entire Bureau of Prisons,” the new Federal Bureau of Prisons director Kathleen Hawk-Sawyer said in a senate hearing.
Understaffing problem?
According to reports, federal prisons face staff shortages as their budgets decrease. According to a report from The Chief Leader, concerns stem from prisoners being moved to one facility at the MDC in Brooklyn. These moves place the prison at near capacity, making it harder for staff to control the prison population.
With rival gangs in close proximity to each other, it’s crucial that staff at the MDC can conduct crowd control. A higher concentration of prisoners in one area has made it more difficult for corrections officers to control aggression & riots within their walls.
Further, budget cuts have made places like the MDC more inhumane. A 2017 lawsuit alleged that bugs & rat droppings were found in food. Also, complaints from winter 2020 allege that the prison reached freezing temperatures for weeks after a heater broke.
