In the Aftermath of Epstein Suicide, Troublesome Questions Persist

Suicide, as a topic or as an incident should not be taken lightly or celebrated, by anyone, in any form or forum, and it will not be on this website. It would be unusual for anyone reading this story to not have had their lives touched by suicide at some point, by a distant friend, a distant family member, or even one closer. Someone reading has likely considered it.

Because suicide is such a horrific act, by anyone, people who demonstrate suicidal ideation deserve close attention, and protective behavior. To the credit of the correctional center which housed Epstein – the MCC – it did have a program that sounds impressive, when implemented correctly.

People undergoing suicidal protection have someone – another prisoner, one trusted by staff and other prisoners – in the cell at all times. They rotate five hour shifts, so as to never nod off, or get distracted. (This exceeds the protection afforded by the huge hospital in which I worked in downtown Honolulu in college.)

The protection doesn’t end there, as the Daily Beast reports:

“Once an inmate has been placed on watch, the watch may not be terminated, under any circumstances, without the Program Coordinator or designee performing a face-to-face evaluation,” the regulations state. “Only the Program Coordinator will have the authority to remove an inmate from suicide watch.”

The regulations recommend that the Program Coordinator complete a report “prior to terminating the watch, or as soon as possible following watch termination, to ensure appropriate continuity of care. Copies of the report will be forwarded to the central file, medical record, psychology file, and the Warden. There should be a clear description of the resolution of the crisis and guidelines for follow-up care.”

The article goes on to note many other regulations which, again, are damned impressive. They are comprehensive and sensible regulations that leave one believing that the prison actually cares.

And yet despite all those precautions, something seemingly inconsistent with those carefully crafted rules happened in this matter:

But on July 29—six days after the incident that led to his placement on suicide watch and seems in hindsight to have more likely been an actual attempt to take his own life rather than a stunt resulting only in minor bruises around the neck—Epstein was deemed to be “no longer at imminent risk for suicide.” Regulations mandated a final evaluation by the Program Coordinator.

Six days? Additionally, the actual suicidal act occurred the morning after after the release of hundreds of pages of documents derived from a civil suit against Epstein. Details of his crimes stood out for the world to see. One would think that any previous suicidal impulses, ones just six days old, would be nothing but amplified.

Yet he died, because none of those protections were in place at the time. That is where the troublesome questions begin. No one is going to miss Jeffery Epstein, quite obviously. But, he should have been compelled to testify as to what he knew about others, and he should have had to endure a long period of punishment, to contemplate the pain he inflicted on others, all for his selfish and sick deeds.

All that aside, how did those protections, and their basis, so suddenly disappear? Anything at this point is pure speculation. However, is not speculation, or at least serious questioning proper in this instance? Given the peculiar nature of this prisoner, this crime, and this suicide?

As I noted yesterday, some extremely powerful people, people with gross amounts of money, had all the reason in the world to ensure that the truth never comes out. Money and-or threats can compel people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do. Did money slip into the equation here? Perhaps serious threats owing to people with power, utilizing that power? Prison guards and prison officials can be bought, they are no different than the rest of society.

The questions are just beginning, but the questions are everywhere this morning, as is proper. We should follow the story closely, for quite some time, because the first and best tool in a cover-up is to buy time, claim that the organization has undertaken a serious investigation and will not release any findings until that investigation is completed. The investigation then takes nine months, and findings – clearing near everyone – are released the day before Christmas Eve, the same day that unrelated huge news rocks the nation. Some people have this down to a science.

Perhaps the system will work. Perhaps Epstein himself manipulated the system to end his life without any outside pressure. Perhaps simple human error explains everything. Perhaps the evidence gathered already will be used to implicated those powerful people who abused children, and they will face justice. Perhaps the lawsuits against the Estate will drain it of all its assets. Perhaps.

Forgive me if I remain skeptical, skeptical of both the past actions, which seem bizarre, and skeptical of the inevitable “investigation.” But, let’s all commit to keeping watch on this situation. We owe it to the victims of Epstein’s crimes. And suicide and/or homicide is never to be celebrated. It must be prevented. Always.

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Peace, y’all

Jason ([email protected]) I can be reached for comments and questions by brothers and sisters of good will.