On Aug. 19, Attorney General William Barr demoted Hugh Hurwitz from his position as the acting director of the Bureau of Prisons to his prior role as assistant director of the BOP’s Reentry Services Division. This move comes in the aftermath of the suicide of alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, which occurred while Epstein was in federal custody.

Epstein’s death comes less than a year after high-profile mob boss Whitey Bulger was murdered while in federal custody, and has renewed interest in the safety of individuals behind bars. And unfortunately, suicides in prison are no rare occurrence. Acts of sexual violence are also common: Around 10% of former state prisoners reported an experience of sexual victimization during their last incarceration.