Speaker 1: What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the
Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're going to continue talking
about the death of Jeffrey Epstein and the circumstances surrounding it,
and to do that, we're going to start taking a
look at the psychological response to the reconstruction of inmate
Jeffrey Epstein. November thirteenth, twenty nineteen from Jay Petrucci, Warden
mcc New York. This is a response to the psychological
reconstruction of inmate Jeffrey Epstein, dated September seventeenth, twenty nineteen.
One single ceiling. It's recommended that all inmates be double celled,
unless safety concerns for an odd number of inmates precludes this.
Priorities should be given to inmates with history of mental illness,
self directed violence, recent stressors, eg losses, newly s ins, etc.
It's recommended that a system of control be implemented, explaining
who will be notified when a suicide watch or a
psychological observation ends and how that communication will take place.
Because this is a life safety issue, the system of control,
once approved by the warden, should be reviewed in formal
meetings such as staff recalls, department head meetings and lieutenant meetings,
Institution response one single cell placement. A system has been
put in place to ensure inmates are not single celled.
A single cell report is completed during each shift by
the Shoe Lieutenant during day watch and the Operations Lieutenant
during the morning watch and evening watch. Notifications are made
to the institution, Duty Officer, IDO and executive staff. Psychology
discusses the status of inmates who are at risk for suicidality,
their housing needs, as well as their needs for cellmates
during staff meeting, the apartment head meetings, shoe meetings, morning meetings,
and close out meetings. When inmates are placed on and
off suicide watch, the warden is notified verbally regardless of
the time of day. The warden then determines which suicide
watch area a suicidal inmate will be housed and if
they will be observed with an inmate companion or a
staff member. Psychology verbally notifies the Operations Lieutenant when inmates
are removed from suicide watch and that they will need
to be placed with the cell mat Cell mates are recommended,
not only for Shoe inmates being removed from suicide watch,
but also for inmates returning to the general population setting.
The CNA officer is responsible for entering the proper assignment.
Once an inmate is removed from Suicide Watch, Psychology staff
sends an email to the executive staff, IDEO and lieutenants
informing them that the inmate is being removed from Suicide
Watch and can return to a cell with a cell mate.
The email contains the name of the staff member whose
psychology verbally spoke with This recommendation for a cellmate and
conversation with the lieutenant is also documented in the post
suicide Watch report and placed in bee mr slash PDS.
Psychology Services has eliminated the use of psychological observation to
avoid any confusion as to the needs of inmates on
watch status. Section two rounds thirty minute rounds are acquired
by P five five zero zero dot one four Correctional
Services Procedures Manual institution Response two rounds. Shoe training is
conducted quarterly in which emphasis is placed on the importance
of diligent rounds within the policy guided timeframes. In addition,
the shoe lieutenant will review documentation shoe round sheets on
a daily basis and provide the captain with an assurance
memorandum of their completion. Weekly Shoe round sheets will be
maintained on the specified range. To insure officers or completing
required rounds, a staff member must observe all inmates confined
in continuous lockdown status such as administrative detention or disciplinary
segregation at least once in the first thirty minute period
of the hour, followed by another round in the second
thirty minute period of the same hour, thus ensuring an
inmate is observed at least twice per hour. These rounds
are to be conducted on an irregular schedule and no
more than forty minutes apart. All observations must be documented.
Closer observation may be required for an inmate who is
mentally ill or who demonstrates unusual or bizarre behavior. These
inmates have been identified with an orange photographic door tag
to ensure a staff are aware to take more security
precautions in dealing with this inmate. Two hour captain VIE
review and six hour IDEO video review are being conducted.
Number three cell made assignments. When mister Epstein was placed
in Shoe on July seventh, twenty nineteen, the executive staff
decided mister Tartaglioni would be a cellmate. As explained by
doctor Miller, input was not sought from Psychology Services, and
it's not clear if for how sex offender specific needs
and associated risk were incorporated into the housing plan. Mister
Tartaglioni was also a high profile inmate, an ex police
officer charged in multiple murders. However, he and mister Apstein
did not share the risk associated with being a sex offender,
and the repairing may have aggravated mister Epstein's risk for
self directed violence. In an effort to treat mister Epstein
the same as other inmates, a statement repeated by multiple staff,
executive staff may have inadvertently overlooked the need to consider
a unique risk factors associated with the individuals who have
been charged with and convicted of sex offense. On July
twenty fifth, twenty nineteen, doctor Miller sent an email to
Shirley Skipper Scott Associate Warden explaining a consultation between doctor
Miller and doctor Nagel, National Suicide Prevention Coordinator. In the email,
doctor Miller reviewed the consult and recommendation from the Psychology
Services Branch Central Office that mister Epstein be housed with
another inmate who had been accused of committing a sex offense.
There is no evidence this information was considered beyond the email,
and mister Epstein was never housed with another inmate charged
or convicted of sexual offense. It's recommended executive staff and
correctional service staff include a psychologist in decisions about cellmates
as a means of incorporating expertise about suicide risk, mental
health needs, and interventions for psychological stability institution response three
cellmate assignments. Inmates with serious mental illness and those at
risk for suicidality are discussed during staff meetings, the apartment
head meetings, shoe meetings, morning meetings, and close out meetings.
The Captain, Associate Wardens, Warden and Psychology Service discussed the
inmates needs. The legal department also assists when the inmates,
attorney or a court are concerned about an inmate's mental health.
Psychology Services are involved in making recommendations regarding the type
of cellmate with whom inmates at risk for suicide should
be seld. Psychology Services takes into consideration the suicide risk
factors involved with a particular inmate and shares their knowledge
with executive staff. The psychological Reconstruction team suggests mcc new
York executive staff did not take into account mister Epstein's
sex offender specific needs in assigning a cellmate in the shoe. However,
that is not correct. Mcc new York executive staff considered
a variety of factors in determining the most appropriate cellmate
for mister Epstein, including but not limited to history of
sex offenses, nature of the inmate, cooperation status, etc. Mcc
new York administrators initially housed mister Epstein with mister Tartaglioni,
has both had high profile cases. Mister Tartaglioni is also
a certified death penalty eligible inmate and thus, based on
correctional judgment, less likely to assault or otherwise try to
harm mister Epstein. Indeed, mister Tartaglioni notified staff immediately when
he realized mister Epstein first made a possible suicide attempt
gesture on July twenty three, twenty nineteen. Now, mind you
just to interrupt here. They're basing this all on Tartaglioni's word.
That's it. So you're going to take the word of
a four time murderer okay I guess. Prior to mister
Epstein being taken off suicide watch, mcc new York executive staff,
with input from psychology staff, assessed all the inmates in
Chue at the time and narrowed the list down to
the most appropriate candidates. Mister Tartaglioni was not chosen as
the investigation at the time had not yet cleared him
of any wrongdoing. Most of the other inmates in Choe
at the time were there for disciplinary reasons and were
otherwise not appropriate to be housed with mister Epstein. The
other notable inmate in Shoe with the history of sex offenses,
mister Hoyt, was deemed dangerous to mister Epstein due to
his threatening nature. Accordingly, mcc new York executive staff now
of the possibilities to cooperators, specifically, ephrin Reis Register number
eight five nine nine to three DASH zero five to
four was placed in Schue for he claims he was
being threatened and extorted on his UNI and he was
confirmed as proffering with the US Attorney's Office as both
he and f Extein were in Schoe for safety reasons.
Mister Rayis was deemed an appropriate cellmate based on the above.
Consideration was made for mister Epstein's sex offender specific needs
in choosing his cellmate in the shoe. His charge crime
was just one of the factors reviewed in making the determination.
Mcc new York executive staff also considered high publicity, inmates
with ample reasons not to hurt mister Epstein, and cooperators
who are not vulnerable themselves, but also had a lot
to lose should they harm mister Epstein. Number four Documentation accuracy.
On July twenty three, twenty nineteen, mister Epstein was found
on a responsive in his cell. He had abrasions on
his neck and knee. There are inconsistencies between documents describing
the circumstances of the scene. In a general administrative note
in PDSBE, Mr Doctor Miller documented information received from Operations
Lieutenant Glenn to Anderson that mister Epstein was found with
a string loosely hanging around his neck. In contrast, Officer
Wilson Silva, who responded to the emergency, wrote a memorandum
dated July twenty third, twenty nineteen. In that memorandum, Officer
Silva wrote that mister Epstein laying down near his bunk
and what appeared to be a piece of handmade orange
cloth around his neck. It's critical that all description of
the incident accurately reflect objective evidence. Officer Joseph Massulo wrote
that mister Epstein an incident report for self mutilation on
July twenty third, twenty nineteen, after he was found on
responsive in his cell, but prior to having necessary facts
to determine whether he likely engaged in bureau violation. BOP
policy expects staff to write an incident report within twenty
four hours of having the information that an inmate likely
violated BOP rules, without making a presumptive decision about guilt.
A Special Investigative Service had a special threat assessment that
was completed on August two, twenty nineteen, but the results
were inconclusive as to whether mister Epstein engaged in self
directed violence, willingly fought with the cell mat, or was
assaulted by a cell mat. It's recommended that staff remain
open to all reasonable explanations for a behavior and take
the appropriate actions when a final determinations made. Although the
incident report was later expunged, inmates frequently experienced significant stress
when they contemplate the potential consequences associated with findings of guilt.
Doctor Schlessinger entered a Psychology Service intake screening into PDS
B E m R on July eighth, twenty ten. The
document has three typographical errors. She selected no sexual offense
conviction checkbox when in fact, mister Epstein was previously convicted
of solicitation of prostitution and procuring a person under the
age of eighteen for prostitution. Second, mister Epstein was erroneously
identified as a blackmail in this document. Finally, there's one
instance where he's mistakenly referred to as mister Brown. Doctor
Schlessinger completed a risk of sexual abusiveness document on July eighth,
twenty nineteen. She marked history of prior prison sexual predation
in the affirmative this is not accurate. Ismal Joaquin, mid
level practitioner, completed a history and physical on July ninth,
twenty nineteen. An intake screening should have been conducted within
twenty four hours of his entry into bureau custody, which
was on July sixth, twenty nineteen. According to P six
zero three one dot zero four, Patient care Officer Alwyn
Thomas was responsible for observing mister Ebstein and documenting his
behavior on suicide Watch. On July twenty third, twenty nineteen,
Officer Thomas mistakenly used a suicide watch logbook intended for
inmate companion documentation between one forty am and six AM
on July twenty three, twenty nineteen, when he should have
been using the Staff Suicide Watch logbook. Miss Kenya Coates,
drug treatment specialist, reportedly noticed this error and subsequently hand
copied all of Officer thomas entries from one forty am
to six am into a Staff Suicide Watch logbook. She
then initialed these entries, and this makes it appear as
if she's the one conducting the watch. This information was
discovered and conveyed in an email from Miss Charisma Edge
associate Warden to doctor Slessinger with a carbon copied of
Warden and Die on August twelfth, twenty nineteen. Of note,
Miss Coates did not make an entry explaining why she
was making the logbook changes. Additionally, Miss Coats then wrote
entries for six fifteen, six thirty, six forty five and
seven am in the Staff Suicide Watch logbook. These were
not part of the original entries made by Officer Thomas,
nor was Miss Coates assigned to work suicide Watch post
due to the inability to interview staff at this time,
It's unknown why Miss Coats attempted to correct Officer Thomas's
error or made any of the subsequent log entries. It's
recommended that if a staff member makes an entry error
eg writes the incorrect Suicide Watch logbook, the staff member
should describe the error in the correct logbook, to include
indicating when they became aware of the error. The staff
member should then notify the Chief Psychologists. A review of
Special Housing Unit records BP DASH A zero two nine
two reveal a number of incomplete entries. The document is
used to monitor provision and receipt of basic services such
as recreation, medical showers, meal consumption, et cetera. The officer
in charge signature is missing in ten occasions, and a
medical provider's signature is missing in seven instances. There are
six instances in which it's not clear if mister Epstein
ate his meal. There are nine instances in which it's
not clear if mister Epstein took a shower. There are
ten instances in which it's not clear if mister Epstein
was offered recreation P five five zero zero dot one
five Correctional Services Manual requires accurate and complete information on
the VP dash A zero two nine two. A review
of psychology observation logbooks revealed significant discrepancies from the approved
Psychological Observation Procedural Memorandum dated April fifteenth, twenty nineteen. A
correctional officer is required to complete hourly rounds and sign
the logbook one hundred and seventy nine out of one
hundred and eighty three rounds, six signatures were missing. The
lieutenant is required to sign the logbook one time per
shift and signatures were missing, and ten of twenty three instances,
a physician assistant is required to sign one time per
shift and sixteen of sixteen instances were missing. It's recommended
that a further review of psychological observation procedures be conducted.
The institution response documentation accuracy. The reconstruction team indicates it's
critical that all descriptions of the incident accurately reflect objective
evidence and references psychology staff's reliance on differing statements from
two different staffs regarding the July twenty three, twenty nineteen incident.
Psychology staff considers the information from more than one source
when making decisions about suicide watch placement. Clinical judgment is
used to make determinations, taking into a consideration each person's
self report of a situation, as they may perceive differently.
In reference to typographical errors noted in pdspe MR notes
the Chief Psychologists has spoken to all psychology staff members
concerning proofreading all documents entered to reduce typos and to
improve information accuracy. Additionally, there is a second staff psychologist
in the department which helps reduce the workload on current psychologists,
allowing more time for a documentation review. Regarding the reconstruction
Team's concern in reference to mister Epstein's expunged incident report,
Special Investigative Services staff will conduct all investigation in matters
of attempted suicide and make a determination as to whether
an incident report is warranted. The reconstruction team stated medical
staff conducted inmate Epstein's intake screening. Late century records Reflectedmate
Epstein arrived in mcc New York's Receiving and Discharge area
on July six, twenty nineteen, at approximately nine twenty four pm.
His medical intake screening was conducted at approximately nine thirty
eight pm by Physician Assistant Pa Kang on the same
night and approximately fourteen minutes after his arrival in r
and D on July ninth, twenty nineteen, he was placed
on psychological observation and approximately twelve thirty eight pm he
was escorted from psychological observation the Health Services for a
medical assessment and a history in physical, which was performed
by PA Joaquin within three days of the arrival. According
to Program Statement six zero three dot zero four Patient Care,
a provider must perform a history and physical within fourteen
days of the inmate arriving at a GOP facility. The
history and physical and intake screening were conducted timely and
in accordance with policy regarding use of the incorrect suicide
watchlogs and the recreation thereof The Chief Psychologist and Drug
Abuse Coordinator counseled the Drug Treatment Specialists concerning her documentation
in the Suicide Watch logbook. There was no ill intent
on the part of the DTS, as all logbooks were maintained,
the original logbook written by the officer and the one
documented by DTS. The DTS indicated a desire to assist
the officer, as he had written in the wrong logbook. Specifically,
he wrote that the inmate companion logbook rather the staff logbook. However,
she was informed that this is not a role and
she is not a document in a logbook for anyone
else observing an inmate on suicide watch. In the future,
only staff members watching the inmate on suicide watch and
operation lieutenants document in the suicide watch logbook. Logbooks are
now being closely monitored on a daily basis by Chief Psychologist.
Incomplete entries were noted in the BP two two. Shoe
training is conducted quarterly in which emphasis will be placed
on the importance of proper two ninety two documentation. In addition,
the Shoe Lieutenant will receive two ninety twos on a
daily basis and provide the Captain with an assurance memorandum.
Two ninety twos will be printed for the previous week.
Every Sunday. The Shoe Lieutenant will acquire any needed signatures
from the respective oics in a handwritten manner. The reconstruction
team findings noted, discrepancies and the procedures approved for psychological observation.
The psychology department has eliminated psychology observation at mcc New York.
Both staff and lieutenants received additional training on when they're
required to complete rounds and sign Suicide Watch logbooks. With
regard to Suicide Watch logbook signatures, correctional staff are required
to perform routine rounds every hour. The two sally officer
on Monday through Friday during day watch is required to
perform rounds on Suicide Watch inmates as prescribed by the captain.
After hours, the unit to officer will be responsible for
making rounds, serving meals, collecting trash in the area, and
performing the count with the internal one or Internal two
assisting with duties as assigned by the captain. Additionally, psychology
staff check the suicide Watch logs daily when they interview
the inmates on Suicide Watch. If it's noted hourly rounds
are not being conducted by the unit officer and or
the lieutenants are not rounding and signing the books each shift,
the Associate warden over programs and the captain are notified
immediately and enforce accountability. All right, folks, we're going to
wrap up right here, and in the next episode, we're
going to pick up where we left off. All the
information that goes with this episode can be found in
the description box.