Negligence and Misconduct Cited in Jeffrey Epstein’s Jail Suicide, says Justice Department Watchdog

According to the Justice Department’s watchdog, Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide at a federal jail in New York City, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, was a result of a combination of negligence and misconduct. Inspector General Michael Horowitz identified several factors contributing to Epstein’s death, including the failure of the federal Bureau of Prisons to assign him a cellmate after his previous one left, issues with surveillance cameras, and the presence of excessive bed linens in his cell, which he used for his suicide.

The inspector general’s report, released after multiple official investigations, confirmed that there was no evidence of foul play, dismissing conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s high-profile death. Horowitz also highlighted the overworked conditions of some jail staff members, identifying 13 employees with poor performance. Among them, six workers faced recommended charges, while only the two guards responsible for guarding Epstein were ultimately charged and received a plea deal to avoid jail time after admitting to falsifying logs.

The report comes over four years after Epstein’s suicide at the Metropolitan Correctional Center and follows the recent release of thousands of records shedding light on his detention, death, and the ensuing chaotic aftermath.

Prosecutors revealed that the guards assigned to Epstein neglected their duties, sleeping and shopping online instead of conducting the required checks on him every 30 minutes. Nova Noel and Michael Thomas, who admitted to falsifying prison records, struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid imprisonment. Both individuals left the Bureau of Prisons in April 2022, according to agency spokesperson Benjamin O’Cone.

This marks the second time in six months that Inspector General Horowitz has attributed a high-profile inmate’s death to the failures of the Bureau of Prisons. In a previous investigation, he found that management failures, flawed policies, and widespread incompetence contributed to the beating death of notorious gangster James “Whitey” Bulger in a troubled West Virginia prison in 2018.

The Associated Press obtained more than 4,000 pages of documents related to Epstein’s death, which underscored the role of understaffing and corner-cutting in the tragedy.

Epstein spent 36 days at the now-closed Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, during which he was placed on suicide watch for 31 hours following a reported suicide attempt. The guards on duty during his final night were working overtime, with one of them on a fifth consecutive day of extra shifts. Epstein’s cellmate did not return after a court hearing, and the jail failed to assign another prisoner to share the cell, leaving Epstein alone.

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