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A2 us news
Tuesday 20 augusT 2019
U.S. prisons chief removed from position after Epstein’s death
By MICHAEL BALSAMO He also weathered through
Associated Press the death of Boston mob-
WASHINGTON (AP) — At- ster James “Whitey” Bulger,
torney General William Barr who was killed in a federal
removed the acting direc- prison in West Virginia in
tor of the Bureau of Prisons October, just after he was
from his position Monday, transferred there.
more than a week after Lawmakers, advocates
millionaire financier Jeffrey and even prison guards
Epstein took his own life had been sounding the
while in federal custody. alarm about dangerous
Hugh Hurwitz’s reassign- conditions there for years,
ment comes amid mount- but there has been no
ing evidence that guards public indication that fed-
at the chronically under- eral prison officials took
staffed Metropolitan Cor- any action to address the
rectional Center in New safety concerns.
York abdicated their re- Bulger’s killing was the third
sponsibility to keep the at the facility within six
66-year-old Epstein from months.
killing himself while he As director of the bureau,
awaited trial on charges of Hurwitz was responsible for
sexually abusing teenage overseeing 122 facilities,
girls. 37,000 staff members and
The FBI and the Justice De- about 184,000 inmates.
partment’s inspector gen- In this July 19, 2019, file photo, acting Director of the Bureau of Prisons Hugh Hurwitz speaks during Hawk Sawyer was the first
eral are investigating his a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington. woman to lead the agen-
death. Associated Press cy and held a number of
Barr named Kathleen jobs during nearly 27 years
Hawk Sawyer, the prison where he will work with Barr makers and Barr demand- him every half hour, as re- there.
agency’s director from on putting in place the First ing answers about how Ep- quired, and are suspected She worked as a psycholo-
1992 until 2003, to replace Step Act, a criminal justice stein was left unsupervised of falsifying log entries to gist at a federal correc-
Hurwitz. Hurwitz is moving overhaul. and able to take his own show they had, according tional facility in West Virgin-
to a role as an assistant The bureau has come un- life on Aug. 10 while held to several people familiar ia, served as an associate
director in charge of the der intense scrutiny since at one of the most secure with the matter. warden and then a war-
bureau’s reentry programs, Epstein’s death, with law- federal jails in America. Both guards were working den at other facilities, and
A statement from Barr gave overtime because of staff- ultimately was nominated
no specific reason for the ing shortages, the people to lead the agency during
reassignment. But Barr said said. Barr’s first stint as attorney
last week that officials had Multiple people familiar general in the early 1990s.
uncovered “serious irregu- with operations at the jail “Under Dr. Hawk Sawyer’s
larities” and was angry that say Epstein was taken off previous tenure at the Bu-
staff members at the jail suicide watch about a reau, she led the agency
had failed to “adequately week after he was found with excellence, innova-
secure this prisoner.” on his cell floor July 23 with tion, and efficiency, re-
He ordered the bureau last bruises around his neck, ceiving numerous awards
Tuesday to temporarily re- and put back in a high- for her outstanding leader-
assign the warden , Lamine security housing unit where ship,” Barr said in a state-
N’Diaye, to a regional of- he was less closely moni- ment.
fice and the two guards tored but still supposed to Barr also named Thomas
who were supposed to be checked on every 30 Kane, a longtime bureau
be watching Epstein were minutes. employee who has held a
placed on administrative They spoke on condition of variety of leadership roles,
leave. anonymity because they as the deputy director.
“This is a good start, but were not authorized to Kane worked at the agen-
it’s not the end,” Sen. Ben publicly discuss the investi- cy from 1977 to 2018, un-
Sasse, a Republican from gation. der four attorneys general,
Nebraska who serves on Hurwitz is a longtime bu- and has previously served
the Senate Judiciary Com- reaucrat who joined the as the bureau’s acting di-
mittee, said in a statement. bureau in 1998. rector, chief of staff, assis-
“Attorney General Barr did He had also served in the tant director and deputy
the right thing by removing Education Department director.
the head of the Federal and the Food and Drug “During this critical junc-
Bureau of Prisons and he Administration and worked ture, I am confident Dr.
ought to make every effort for NASA’s office of inspec- Hawk Sawyer and Dr.
to prosecute every one of tor general. Kane will lead BOP with
Epstein’s co-conspirators He returned to the prison the competence, skill, and
to the fullest extent of the agency in 2015 and was resourcefulness they have
law.” appointed acting director embodied throughout
The guards on Epstein’s by then-Attorney General their government careers,”
unit failed to check on Jeff Sessions in 2018. Barr said.q
