On Monday, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of two of the five counts with which he’d been charged, namely third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sex act. The jury did not convict of the most serious charges, which would have likely led him to spend the remainder of his life in prison. But he’s still due for the slammer, and when he gets there, he’ll be under close watch lest he succumbs to what officials are dubbing an “Epstein incident.”
This comes from The New York Post, which says officials will be closely monitoring Weinstein when he’s in custody, out of fear that he may hang himself, as Jeffrey Epstein allegedly did last August. Weinstein will be sequestered in his own cell, where he will always be under surveillance by correction officers.
“The last thing you want is another Jeffrey Epstein incident,” the source told The Post. “Harvey is going to be isolated as much as possible and will always have a detail with him throughout the prison. He’s never going to be like other prisoners, able to walk down the hallway or sit in the canteen alone.”
Indeed, Weinstein is already getting heightened monitoring. After his conviction, Weinstein was taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan after he complained of chest pains. During his stay, he’s being escorted by a jail captain everywhere, his every move monitored, lest he commit self-harm. In fact, that unit of the hospital has been shut down, entirely dedicated to its jail-bound client.
The Post also reports that, should Weinstein be sent to Rikers Island, he may wind up with an entire housing unit dedicated only to him. Weinstein faces up to 29 years in prison, and his trial included testimonies from six women who alleged that the movie mogul attacked and sought to intimidate them. The first allegations against Weinstein, in the fall of 2017, kickstarted the #MeToo movement.
(Via The New York Post)
