Letter to the Hon. Michael Horowitz, Inspector General for the U.S. Dept. of Justice, and the Hon. Christopher Wray, Dir. of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation - Velázquez Wants Comprehensive Review of Facility Where Epstein Died

Letter

Dear Inspector General Horowitz and Director Wray:

As the Member of Congress with the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in my district, I write to voice concerns about the continued alleged culture of mismanagement and inadequate leadership at this facility. Circumstances surrounding the recent suicide of Jeffrey Epstein while he was in federal custody draw light to other problems that have been previously documented at the detention facility. I suspect current events at MCC are symptomatic of larger issues afflicting the facility's professional culture, as suggested by a list of previous disconcerting events.

For example:
-A lieutenant physically abused a detainee, resulting in fractures to the detainee's eye socket and cheekbone;[1]
-A correction officer was sentenced to 7 years in prison after being convicted of raping a female detainee;[2]
-An officer has been formally charged for sexually abusing female detainees in exchange for personal hygiene products, food and other items.[3]
-Officers attempted to "cover up" the death of Roberto Grant by claiming the prisoner's cause of death was a drug overdose when a city coroner determined the cause to be blunt force trauma.[4]

Given his notoriety, I understand that your respective agencies will investigate the events leading to the death of Mr. Epstein. This review is wholly appropriate, and I thank you for conducting it.

However, I urge you to expand the scope of your inquiry to scrutinize the current professional culture at this facility. Such review should also examine the continued use of augmentation policy at this facility given recent reports suggesting one non-correctional staff member was partially responsible for Mr. Epstein's safety in the Special Housing Unit (SHU).[5]

It is vital that we continue ensuring the victims of Mr. Epstein's deeds receive the justice they deserve, including a full accounting of Mr. Epstein's death under federal custody. Likewise, it is important that broader management problems pervading MCC, which may have enabled Mr. Epstein's suicide, be examined, rooted out and corrected.

Thank you for your attention to these concerns. Should you or your staff have any questions regarding this request, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington office at 202-225-2361.

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