This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On July 23, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein attempted to take his own life in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. However, he was removed from suicide watch just days later, a decision that has been heavily criticized by former prison officials.
According to Dr. Larry C. Lindsay, a former chief psychologist at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida, the warden should have erred on the side of caution and kept Epstein under close surveillance, separate from other inmates. 'A psychologist is going to think one way, but a warden needs to think a different way,' he said. 'You have to take the conservative, safe route and keep an individual like this on suicide watch.'
Dr. Lindsay also pointed out that Epstein was at risk of being attacked by other inmates due to the nature of the allegations against him. 'In the subculture of prisons, it's a badge of honor to take someone out like that,' he said.
Other former prison officials, including Bob Hood, a former chief of internal affairs for the Bureau of Prisons, have also questioned the decision to remove Epstein from suicide watch. Hood stated that it is not uncommon for an inmate to be on suicide watch for less than a week, but this is typically done in cases where an inmate receives bad news in court or from family, not soon after a suicide attempt.
On August 10, 2019, The New York Times reported that Epstein was taken off suicide watch after just 24 hours, despite the fact that he had attempted to take his own life and humiliating information continued to be released to the public through news outlets.
Former prison officials have expressed outrage over the decision to remove Epstein from suicide watch, with Bob Hood stating, 'A man is dead. The Bureau of Prisons dropped the ball. Period.'
Richard A. Oppel Jr. contributed reporting.
