Child sex abuse suspect Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers have complained she is being subjected to 'uniquely onerous conditions' because she is Jeffrey Epstein's ex.
The 58-year-old is being held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of her trial next July, where she will face two counts of perjury and charges of conspiracy to entice minors, enticement of a minor, travelling to engage in illegal sex acts; conspiracy to transport minors and transportation of a minor, with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
And after six weeks in solitary confinement, she has now asked to be moved into the general prison population, complaining of "unfair" treatment due to her links to the late paedophile.
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Maxwell's lawyers have said she has faced round-the-clock surveillance since arriving at the jail, as well as multiple body scans, cell searches and an extensive period of time on suicide watch.
She's also only allowed out for three hours a day, under the current restrictions she's under.
"It has become apparent that the (Bureau of Prisons) treatment of Ms Maxwell is a reaction to the circumstances surrounding the pretrial detention and death of Mr Epstein," they said.
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A coroner found Epstein died by suicide in jail in Manhattan on 10th August last year, while awaiting child sex trafficking charges last August.
However, an investigation into the disgraced financier's passing also uncovered a whole host of alleged failures in safeguarding by prison staff who were meant to be monitoring him closely.
Maxwell's legal team add that she was put on suicide watch from the moment she was sent into custody, despite their claims she "has never been suicidal and was never diagnosed as exhibiting risk factors for suicide".
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This meant being given paper clothes to wear to ensure she couldn't hang herself, wake up calls every few hours and monitoring by cameras and individuals who she didn't believe to be regular prison staff.
Speaking to NBC News, they elaborated: "These prison guards constantly observe Ms Maxwell and take notes on her every activity, including her phone conversations with defense counsel.
"Ms Maxwell does not seek special treatment at the MDC; but she does ask that she not be specially disfavored in her treatment in detention, especially when it comes to preparing her defense to conduct that allegedly took place over 25 years ago."
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Ghislaine Maxwell - daughter of media mogul Robert Maxwell - pleaded not guilty to all six charges against her, but was held without bail after her arrest last month, after US District Judge Alison J Nathan concluded she was a risk to fleeing.
She was located at a New Hampshire estate on 2nd July, after nearly a year on the run, and relocated to the Brooklyn jail four days later.
Maxwell's complaints come not long after Tyla recently spoke to survivor Kiki Doe about how her life had been affected by her ex, who alleges she was recruited by another of the paedophile's co-conspirators.
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In an exclusive interview, the former New York model - known as Jane Doe two in court documents - opened up on the aftermath of her traumatic encounter with Epstein, and detailed how he took her "light, bright" life, and made it feel "very dark".
You can read her harrowing account here.
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