A report by the Justice Department's inspector general concluded that a culture of negligence led to Jeffrey Epstein's death by suicide. File Photo courtesy of New York State Division of Criminal Justice/EPA-EFE
June 27 (UPI) -- A report released Tuesday by the Justice Department's inspector general concluded that Jeffrey Epstein's death by suicide was possible because of negligence and misconduct at a federal prison in New York City.
Staff at the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Metropolitan Correctional Center made numerous mistakes, including failing to give Epstein a new cellmate after he had been placed on suicide watch, and not ensuring that the security camera system could record video, the report said.
"The combination of negligence, misconduct, and outright job performance failures documented in today's report all contributed to an environment in which arguably one of the most notorious inmates in BOP's custody was left unmonitored and alone in his cell with an excess of prison linens, thereby providing him with the opportunity to take his own life," Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department's inspector general, said in a statement.
Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in 2019, while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Authorities said that he hanged himself.
While many have questioned whether Epstein really died by suicide, the report notes that lax procedures led to a surplus of bed linens being left in his cell, which he used to kill himself. It also concludes that his death was not the result of a criminal act.
"While the OIG determined MCC New York staff engaged in significant misconduct and dereliction of their duties, we did not uncover evidence contradicting the FBI's determination regarding the absence of criminality in connection with Epstein's death," the report said.
Two prison staffers who were on duty in the Special Housing Unit the night Epstein died, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, were previously charged with falsifying prison records, however those charges were dismissed after a plea agreement. Tuesday's report found that four other staffers had created false documentation.
The Metropolitan Correctional Center has been closed since 2021.
