Where is Jeffrey Epstein now: Four things to know about the notorious Manhattan jail that also houses ‘El Chapo’ and Paul Manafort
In a matter of days, Jeffrey Epstein literally saw his life go from the heights of luxury to the isolation of a prison cell.
Before his arrest, Epstein’s New York City home was considered one of the biggest private homes in Manhattan. The estimated worth of the seven-story, 40-room property was $56 million, according to a New York Times report.
The disgraced American financer, charged with sexual abuse of underage girls, is now being held in Lower Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), the infamous Manhattan jail, as he awaits a bail hearing.
After being arrested at the Teterboro Airport in New Jersey last Saturday, he was booked into the MCC as inmate 76318-054.
Here are four things about the infamous jail that you need to know.
Harsh conditions
The MCC is a towering concrete jail that is infamous for harsh conditions, according to inmates and lawyers. There have been allegations of roach and rat infestations, extreme cold or heat, and water problems.
Among the worst criminals
According to a Reuters report, the prominent among the 800 inmates of the MCC include New York Mafia bosses, ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former market maker Bernie Madoff, and drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
"10 South"
According to a Bloomberg report, high-profile inmates are usually held in "10 South".
This unit, where inmates spend 23 hours a day inside their cells, has been compared to the U.S. prison camp Guantanamo Bay. However, the inmates do get an hour for recreational activities.
Epstein is believed to be held in “9 South,” a separate special housing unit for inmates. While in protective custody, Epstein is allowed out for recreation for an hour a day.
Violent and filthy
Rights group Amnesty International, in 2011, said the 10 South unit, which has also been used to house people accused of terrorism, flouts “international standards for humane treatment,” Reuters reported. The MCC was criticized last year by the rights groups which told Gothamist that it was filthy and lacked medical care. Also, inmates are reportedly subjected to violence and abuse.
Meanwhile, Epstein has asked a federal judge to let him out of jail and allow him to remain under house arrest in his Manhattan mansion while he awaits trial.
However, U.S. district judge Richard Berman—who is hearing the case—had previously rejected a similar request by a Turkish-Iranian gold trader. He found it unfair to allow wealthy defendants to “buy their way out of prison by constructing their own private jail.”
Epstein has been known for socializing with people like current U.S. President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Britain’s Prince Andrew among others.