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meet with their clients because Epstein and his attorneys were occupying the attorney conference room, even at times when Epstein had to leave the conference room for a medical visit. At MCC New York, the SHU was located on the south side of the institution’s ninth floor and was often referred to as “9 South.” Primary access to the SHU was controlled by a locked door (Main Exterior Entry Door). That door was opened remotely by a staff member in MCC New York's centralized Control Center. Access into the SHU was further controlled by a second locked door (Main Interior Entry Door), to which a limited number of Correctional Officers (CO) had keys while on duty. Secondary access to the SHU was controlled by a locked door. That door was opened remotely by a staff member in the centralized Control Center. Entry into the SHU from the secondary access point was further controlled by three additional locked doors, to which a limited number of the COs had keys while on duty. The secondary access doors were used only by staff when facilitating visits between the SHU inmates and their outside visitors. Within the SHU, inmates were assigned to six separate tiers or groups of cells, three of which were accessible via stairs leading up from the common area on the ninth floor (Upper Tiers—G, J, and L Tiers) and three of which were accessible via stairs leading down from the common area on the ninth floor (Lower Tiers—H, K, and M Tiers). The entrance to each tier could be accessed only via a single locked door at the top or bottom of the staircase leading to the individual tier. A limited number of keys to open the locked tier doors were available only to a limited number of COs while on duty. Each tier had eight cells, each of which could house either one or two inmates. Each individual cell, which was made of cement and metal, could be accessed only through a single locked door, to which only a limited number of COs had keys while on duty. The SHU cell doors were made of solid metal with a small glass window and small locked slots that correctional staff used to handcuff inmates and provide food or toiletries to inmates. As a further security measure, during each shift the keys to the SHU tier doors and SHU cell doors were carried by different COs. As noted above, inmates in the SHU are securely separated from the general inmate population and are kept locked in their cell when in their assigned tier within the SHU. Witnesses told the OIG that SHU inmates are locked in their cells for approximately 23 hours a day. BOP policy provides that, weather and resources permitting, SHU inmates will have the opportunity to exercise outside of their quarters 5 hours per calendar week. Under federal regulations and BOP policy, SHU inmates ordinarily have the opportunity to shower at least 3 times a week, typically on different days in 1-hour periods. SHU inmates may also be escorted from their cells by MCC New York staff for visits, including legal visits, court appearances, medical and psychological attention. The MCC New York SHU Post Orders require that all visitors to the SHU be documented in the SHU visitor log, and that any inmate visiting the SHU, such as inmates on work details, be searched visually and with a hand-held metal detector, without exception. The MCC New York SHU Post Orders also require that food carts be searched inside and out before being brought into a SHU cellblock and that all meals be delivered through the cell door food slot of the locked cell door. 23 DOJ-OGR- 00023390