Jeffrey Epstein denied having any suicidal intentions and prison staff made multiple mistakes before his death, prison documents reveal
The report “Psychological Reconstruction of Death row inmates” produced by the Prisons Bureau’s National Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Psychological Services Branch, Central Office, constructs a timeline of events and completes them. scene before Epstein’s death, and noted that risk factors for suicide “specific to sex offenders,” as well as “more general suicide risk factors, may have been present” in Epstein before dying.
“Despite his many associates, he had very limited personal relationships with one another. Although Mr. Epstein appears to have fostered an extensive professional and social network, he is not. estranged from his only brother. , and associated with other famous individuals,” the report states.
The BOP declined to comment on any specific inmates, but said in a statement to CNN that the “safe, secure and humane housing of inmates is BOP’s highest priority.”
“As a general matter, the BOP has established a task force that will address the mental health impacts of people living alone in a cell and is committed to improving its suicide prevention program. Additionally, BOP is increasing the number of beds available for mental safety medical units, which will assist in moving prisoners with severe mental illness out of limited housing and into treatment programs. BOP is also taking a number of other steps to address mental health issues, including strengthening peer support programs and continuing to train BOP staff on the agency, the agency said in the statement. his father.
The body of the BOP report notes that it is an “interim report” due to its “inability to collect all required data”, in particular the lack of formal interviews as efforts have been made to avoid interfered with the Justice Department’s pending investigations and the lack of video since it was seized by the FBI prior to reporting.
Documents reveal Epstein denied having any suicidal intentions, despite the signs
When Epstein arrived at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on July 6, 2019, a facilities assistant was noted in the report as describing Epstein as “distraught, upset, and somewhat confused”. Although Epstein said he was fine, she was not convinced of this, writing that “he appeared stunned and withdrawn.” She advised in an email that someone from Psychology come and talk to him to “just be on the safe side and prevent any suicidal thoughts”, but there is no evidence that The recipient of the email, a lieutenant, contacted the psychologist directly at the time. , According to the report table.
The report also said that Epstein “denied any history of mental health problems, abuse, and substance treatment” during a routine drug check at the MCC facility in Manhattan on July 8 and Deny any suicidal ideation.
Later that month, Epstein was placed on suicide monitoring after in-person suicide risk assessment on July 23, but was discontinued and returned to psychological monitoring a day later.
It is unclear when he was removed from “psychological observation” due to differences in paperwork but he attended the trial on July 31 when the US Police Service noted a “spontaneous tendency to closely,” according to the report.
However, the report goes on to say that “Epstein has experienced challenges adjusting to the environment and changes in lifestyle,” including difficulty sleeping, complaints about noise in the facility, and concerns. about his safety. In two cases, the report said Epstein described himself as a “coward” and “a person who did not like pain”.
The report also said that the sealing of documents alleging new details of sexual abuse claims against Epstein the day before his death “more[ed] his previously elevated status and was likely related to some of his associates. His lack of interpersonal connections, his complete loss of status both within the community and among associates, and the idea of potentially living in prison were factors that may have contributed to Mr. Epstein’s suicide. “
Procedural blunders by BOP staff before Epstein’s death
On one occasion, it was reported that someone filling out a “Screening for the intake of psychological services” form for Epstein ticked the “No sexual record” box when, in fact, Epstein had already checked the box. have a criminal record related to soliciting underage people to sell sex. The report also said that Epstein, who was white, had been misidentified as a Black male.
Furthermore, a review of prison records “revealed several incomplete entries” regarding the provision and receipt of basic services such as recreation, medical records, bathing and meal consumption. . The report says that there were several instances where it was unclear whether Epstein ate, bathed, or was offered entertainment. Additionally, according to the report, a review of the log revealed a “significant difference” from the approved procedural memo for the establishment.
The BOP report also states that the day before his death, Epstein ended an early legal visit to make a phone call. He told BOP agents he was calling his mother, but records show she had been dead since at least 2004.
CNN’s Brian Vitagliano and Lauren del Valle contributed to this report.