Jeffrey Epstein was held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York, where the official policy generally requires that high-risk inmates, particularly those at risk of suicide, are housed in cells with a cellmate as part of suicide-prevention protocols. However, reports indicate that on the night of his death, Epstein was alone in his cell despite being on suicide watch at some point earlier.
Investigations and reporting suggest several contributing factors to this deviation:
1. Failure in protocol: MCC staff reportedly failed to properly assign Epstein a cellmate or monitor him continuously as required.
2. Suicide watch adjustments: Epstein had previously been on suicide watch but was downgraded, which reduced the frequency of monitoring and allowed him to be alone in his cell.
3. Staffing shortages: The jail faced staffing problems, which reportedly led to lapses in checks and oversight.
4. Irregular monitoring: Cell checks that should have been every 30 minutes were not consistently performed on the night of his death.
In short, while it was generally the case that there would be two prisoners per cell for high-risk inmates, Epstein was alone due to a combination of protocol lapses and administrative failures at MCC. This unusual circumstance has fueled extensive controversy and conspiracy theories surrounding his death.
If you want, I can make a timeline showing exactly when he was alone vs. under suicide watch and the lapses that occurred, which makes the situation clearer.
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