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investigation established both that Epstein's mother was deceased at the time he asked to telephone her and that Epstein had been assigned the necessary documentation that would have allowed him to place calls through the Inmate Telephone System, although he did not take the necessary steps to complete the setup process that would have given him the ability to place calls through that system. The Captain told the OIG that when the Unit Manager was escorting Epstein from his attorney visit back to the SHU and Epstein's requested call was discussed, he told the Unit Manager that Epstein's telephone call had to be monitored and logged.
The Unit Manager told the OIG that he escorted Epstein from his attorney visit to the shower area of the SHU, where he connected a telephone into an unrecorded legal line and dialed the phone number provided by Epstein. The Unit Manager said that when a male answered the call, he handed the telephone to Epstein, and then left MCC New York for the day because his shift had ended. Before leaving the SHU, the Unit Manager told the Evening Watch SHU Officer in Charge, the Material Handler, and Noel, who were at the SHU Officers' Station, to make sure Epstein got his 15 minutes on the telephone, but he did not instruct them to monitor the telephone call. The Unit Manager admitted that he did not verify the recipient of the telephone call, and that neither he nor anyone monitored or logged the telephone call as required.
The OIG found that the Unit Manager violated BOP policy by allowing Epstein to make an unrecorded and unmonitored telephone call, and by failing to verify the telephone call recipient, monitor, and log the call. We further found that the Unit Manager exercised poor judgment when he left MCC New York while Epstein was still on the telephone call that the Unit Manager had arranged and failed to instruct the Evening Watch SHU Officer in Charge, the Material Handler, or Noel to monitor the call.
D. MCC New York Staff Failed to Conduct and Document Cell Searches and Eliminate Safety Hazards in Epstein's Cell on August 9 Leaving Epstein with Excessive Linens in His Cell
The OIG's investigation and review determined that MCC New York staff assigned to the SHU on August 9, 2019, failed to conduct and document searches of Epstein's cell in the SHU. BOP policy requires that BOP staff routinely and irregularly search housing units. MCC New York SHU Post Orders require that SHU staff conduct at least five cell searches each shift during daytime and evening hours (7:45 a.m. to 12 a.m.), in addition to other searches of SHU cells and common areas, and BOP policy and MCC New York SHU Post Orders require written documentation of cell searches. BOP policy explains that the purpose of cell searches is to, among other things, maintain sanitary conditions and eliminate safety hazards. To that end, MCC New York General Housing Unit Post Orders provide that when an inmate is transferred out of a facility, all of the inmate's linens should be taken to Receiving and Discharge.
The OIG reviewed MCC New York SHU TRUSCOPE entries for August 9, and identified only one cell search entered by MCC New York SHU staff for the entire day. During his interview with the OIG, the Day Watch SHU Officer in Charge stated that multiple cell searches were conducted in the MCC New York SHU on August 9; however, the Day Watch SHU Officer in Charge stated that he failed to document the cell searches within the TRUSCOPE system as required because he was too busy with other duties. The Day Watch SHU Officer in Charge further stated that any of the SHU staff could have logged the cell searches into TRUSCOPE.
86 BOP Program Statement 5521.06.