Documents show high-level orders on Epstein but jail failed to prevent six-hour monitoring gap

Federal authorities overseeing Jeffrey Epstein’s custody pressed Metropolitan Correctional Center leadership for close, daily updates in the days after he was found unconscious in his cell, but corrections staff failed to prevent a six-hour monitoring gap in the period before his death, according to emails and a U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigation released Tuesday evening.

The documents show the Bureau of Prisons' Northeast Regional Director J. Ray Ormond emailed MCC Associate Warden Shirley Skipper-Scott on July 24, 2019, requesting a daily status update on Epstein “including his status and any changes/activities I should be aware of.” The message came a day after staff found Epstein unconscious with what investigators described as an "orange cloth around his neck" in his cell on July 23.

The OIG report said corrections officers were repeatedly told by superiors that they had orders from "God" to monitor Epstein closely, but that those directives were not effectively implemented. The newly released emails and other records were issued as part of the inspector general's probe into the Metropolitan Correctional Center's handling of Epstein, who was arrested by the FBI in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges.

Investigators have focused on two incidents in short succession. After the July 23 episode in which Epstein was found unconscious, leadership sought heightened situational awareness. Less than three weeks later, Epstein was found dead in his cell on Aug. 10, 2019. Subsequent inspections and reporting by the OIG and the Department of Justice highlighted serious lapses in staffing, adherence to monitoring protocols and the operation of surveillance systems during the period surrounding his death.

The inspector general's materials state that despite the directives from regional officials, there was a six-hour gap in the monitoring of video footage that investigators reviewed. The OIG previously reported that a number of staff failed to follow required inmate-watch procedures and that MCC was experiencing staffing shortages and scheduling problems at the time.

The emails released Tuesday include other contemporaneous communications among Bureau of Prisons and MCC officials that underscore the level of concern within the federal system over Epstein's custody. They also document efforts by regional leadership to receive frequent updates on his status and to ensure appropriate precautions were in place.

Epstein had been taken into federal custody after his arrest on sex-trafficking charges; his prior arrest and the allegations against him had attracted significant public attention and high-level interest within the Justice Department. The OIG has examined whether systemic failures at the jail contributed to missed opportunities to prevent his death and whether policies and supervision were inadequate.

The Metropolitan Correctional Center's handling of Epstein has drawn extensive scrutiny from Congress, the Justice Department and outside watchdogs. Earlier DOJ investigations into the death concluded that Epstein died by suicide, while subsequent reporting and some public figures have questioned elements of the official account. The inspector general's release of internal emails aims to add documentary detail to the timeline and the chain of oversight in the days before his death.

The OIG's findings underscore persistent challenges within the Bureau of Prisons at the time, including staffing shortfalls, communication breakdowns and failures to follow established protocols for monitoring high-risk detainees. The documents provide contemporaneous evidence that regional and local leaders had been alerted to risks and had sought heightened oversight, but they also show that the measures requested were not consistently put into practice.

The inspector general's investigation remains a touchstone for lawmakers and advocates who have pushed for reforms to ensure reliable supervision and better safeguards in federal detention facilities. DOJ officials and prison administrators have previously said they have taken steps to address deficiencies identified in the aftermath of Epstein's death, including changes to training, staffing and surveillance procedures.

The release of the emails is likely to renew attention to what federal authorities knew about Epstein's risk while in custody and how commands from higher levels translated into practice on the prison floor. The OIG report and associated documents are part of a broader public record sought by members of Congress and the public as they continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the high-profile detainee's death.