When the news broke that Jeffrey Epstein had been found dead in his cell, my initial thought was “good riddance to very bad rubbish.” But I wasn’t dancing for joy anymore once news got out that Epstein’s death may have been at least in part due to a complete and total breakdown of the protocol that is supposed to be in place for inmates with suicidal tendencies.
We now know that Epstein was supposed to have a roommate in his cell immediately after being taken off suicide watch—but that roommate was transferred out, and no one else came in. We also know that Epstein was supposed to be checked every half hour—but those checks were never made. It led me to wonder—how in the world could have this been allowed to happen?
There’s an investigation well underway, but personally, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it emerges that those who were supposed to be watching Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center decided on their own that Epstein wasn’t worthy of protection.
Lest you think that’s far-fetched, consider that child predators and pedophiles have long ranked as the lowest of the low on the prison social scale. Also consider the recent outbreak of vigilante groups who take the law into their own hands to go after suspected predators—even at the expense of throwing basic decency out the window and potentially wrecking otherwise good cases. It led me to wonder—did the guards decide that since Epstein was manifestly guilty, and thus wasn’t worthy of protection?
In light of what we now know to be an egregious lapse in protocol, it’s only fair to ask if not checking on Epstein was more than just an oversight. If it does turn out that those keeping watch on Epstein deliberately disregarded protocol, it won’t surprise me in the least.