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that they had conducted all of the required counts of inmates and 30-minute rounds during their shifts within the SHU. As described in greater detail in Chapter 2, inmate counts and 30-minute rounds are two means by which the BOP accounts for inmates and assesses their safety, security, and well-being. BOP and MCC New York policies require that staff members count all inmates in each housing unit within the facility at designated times each day. Additionally, BOP and MCC New York policies require that a staff member observe all SHU inmates at least once during the first 30 minutes of each hour (e.g., 12 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.) and again during the second 30 minutes of the hour (e.g., 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.), thus ensuring that inmates are observed at least twice per hour. BOP staff are required to document inmate counts and 30-minute rounds on official BOP forms, which are often referred to as “count slips” and “round sheets.” During the OIG’s investigation, the OIG obtained information that the staff assigned to the MCC New York SHU did not conduct any counts of inmates within the SHU from August 9, 2019, at approximately 4 p.m., until Epstein was found hanged in his cell on the morning of August 10, 2019. However, in documentation completed by the SHU staff on duty during that period, staff members falsely certified in the count slips that they had conducted the required counts. Additionally, the OIG investigation revealed that the staff assigned to the MCC New York SHU did not conduct any required 30-minute rounds of inmates after approximately 10:40 p.m. on August 9, 2019. Again, however, SHU staff on duty during that period had falsely certified in the round sheet that the required rounds were conducted. The combination of these and other failures led to Epstein being unmonitored and locked alone in his cell, which the OIG found contained an excessive amount of bed linens, from approximately 10:40 p.m. on August 9 until he was discovered hanged in his cell at approximately 6:30 a.m. the following day. While the OIG determined that MCC New York staff committed significant violations of BOP and MCC New York policies and falsified records related to their conducting inmate counts and rounds, the OIG did not uncover evidence that contradicted the FBI's determination regarding the absence of criminality in connection with how Epstein died. All MCC New York staff members who were interviewed by the OIG said they did not know of any information suggesting that Epstein’s cause of death was something other than suicide. Additionally, none of the 15 inmates who agreed to be interviewed in connection with this investigation, 10 of whom were housed in the SHU on August 9 and 10, had any credible information suggesting that Epstein’s cause of death was something other than suicide. Further, the SHU staff and the three interviewed inmates with a direct line of sight to the door of Epstein’s cell from their cells stated that no one entered or exited Epstein’s cell after the SHU staff returned Epstein to his cell on the evening of August 9, which is consistent with the security measures in place within the MCC New York SHU. SHU staff told the OIG that at approximately 8 p.m. on August 9, all SHU inmates were locked in their cells for the evening and that there was no indication that any of the other inmates could have gotten out of their cells. Additionally, the OIG analyzed the available recorded video of the SHU, which was limited to the common area of the SHU, including the SHU Officers’ Station, due to the MCC New York security camera system's recording issues that we detail in this report. The OIG's analysis of the recorded video did not identify any Correctional Officers (CO) or other individuals approaching any of the SHU tiers, including the L Tier where 2 These BOP forms are officially entitled “Official Count Slip” and “MCC New York, Special Housing Unit, 30 Minute Check Sheet.” 3 For reasons we describe below, while the camera inside the L Tier was working and transmitting live video, the video was not being recorded. DOJ-OGR- 00023370