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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 14 august 2019

2 guards suspended and warden

reassigned after Epstein death

By JIM MUSTIAN, MICHAEL of Prisons' regional office tect the integrity of investi-
R. SISAK and MICHAEL BAL- while the FBI and the Jus- gations until any formal ac-
SAMO tice Department's inspec- tion, if any, is warranted."
Associated Press tor general investigate. The Jose Rojas, a union lead-
NEW YORK (AP) — The two guards were not identi- er and teacher at a fed-
warden at the federal jail fied. eral prison in Florida, said
where Jeffrey Epstein took While the exact manner N'Diaye should be home
his own life over the week- of Epstein's death has not without pay instead of be-
end was removed Tuesday been officially announced, ing reassigned. He said it
and two guards who were a second person familiar appears to him that the Bu-
supposed to be watching with operations at the jail reau of Prisons is "protecting
the financier were placed said the financier was dis- him and putting the blame
on leave while federal au- covered in his cell with a on officers."
thorities investigate the bedsheet around his neck. "I put this on the warden," he
death.The move by the That person likewise spoke said. "If he would have had
Justice Department came on condition of anonymity common sense and fol-
amid mounting evidence for the same reason. lowed policy, we wouldn't
that the chronically under- Under the jail's protocol, Ep- be here discussing this."
staffed Metropolitan Cor- stein would not have been The guards on Epstein's unit
rectional Center may have given a bedsheet had he the night of his apparent
bungled its responsibility to been on suicide watch. suicide were working over-
keep the 66-year-old Ep- He was placed on suicide time shifts to make up for This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State
stein from harming himself watch last month after he staffing shortages, one per- Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein.
while he awaited trial on was found on the floor of his son familiar with the matter Associated Press
charges of sexually abusing cell with bruises on his neck, said. The person said one
teenage girls. but he was later returned guard was working a fifth the facility in the event of a Epstein was being held
Epstein was taken off a to the jail's special housing straight day of overtime disturbance and to provide without bail on federal sex
suicide watch last month unit for inmates needing and another was working inmate supervision," ac- trafficking charges that
for reasons that have not close supervision. mandatory overtime. cording to a 2012 Govern- could have brought 45
been explained, and was On Monday, Barr said that One of the guards had a ment Accountability Office years in prison.
supposed to have been he was "frankly angry to different job in the jail and report on overcrowding. Federal prosecutors in New
checked on by a guard learn of the MCC's failure did not regularly perform All new employees are sent York are pursuing a parallel
every 30 minutes. But in- to adequately secure this correctional officer duties, to a training academy in investigation into whether
vestigators learned those prisoner," adding: "We will the person said. The prison Georgia for a three-week any of his associates will
checks weren't done for get to the bottom of what has been pressing non- "Introduction to Correc- face charges for assisting
several hours before he happened and there will custodial staff into work- tional Techniques" course him in what authorities say
was found Saturday morn- be accountability." ing as correctional officers that covers firearms, self- was his rampant sexual
ing, according to a person The warden of an institution because staffing levels defense, policies and pro- abuse of girls as young as
familiar with the case who in upstate New York has are less than 70 percent of cedures. They must also 14.
was not authorized to dis- been named the acting what they should be, union pass a physical-abilities test According to police re-
cuss it and spoke on condi- warden at the jail. officials said. that measures their "abil- ports, FBI records and court
tion of anonymity. Eric Young, president of The Bureau of Prisons con- ity to perform the essential documents, Epstein had
Attorney General Wil- the union council that rep- siders all employees "cor- functions of a correctional a team of recruiters and
liam Barr ordered warden resents prison guards, said rectional workers" and worker," such as detecting other assistants who knew
Lamine N'Diaye temporar- that such reassignments trains them in "basic cor- movement, climbing lad- of his penchant for girls and
ily assigned to the Bureau are routinely done to "pro- rectional duties to secure ders and using handcuffs. lined up victims for him.q