Conditions inside a federal detention facility came under sharp scrutiny Monday after a judge publicly criticized how a high-profile inmate has been treated since his arrest.
According to Fox News, Cole Allen, 31, has been in federal custody since prosecutors allege he attempted to enter the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and kill President Donald Trump along with other senior officials.
During a hearing, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui told a lawyer for the Department of Corrections that he was “fascinated and disturbed” by Allen’s confinement conditions, which included placement on suicide watch immediately after his arrest.
According to court filings, suicide watch protocols required Allen to remain on 24-hour lockdown in a “safe cell,” without phone access and with visits limited to his legal team. His attorneys also said he was denied personal items, including a Bible, despite repeated requests.
The government argued the restrictions were justified, noting that Allen told investigators he did not expect to survive the alleged attack, raising concerns about self-harm.
But the judge pushed back strongly, comparing Allen’s treatment to that of other federal detainees.
“To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history,” Faruqui said, adding that Allen is presumed innocent. “It’s troubling. I never heard of one Jan. 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell. If the only way to keep him safe is the most punitive thing, that’s a problem.”
Faruqui said even defendants charged in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack were generally housed in less restrictive settings, such as a Correctional Treatment Facility.
“Pardons may erase convictions, but they don’t erase history,” he said. “They were hanging gallows outside.”
The judge also questioned how Allen could receive a fair process under such conditions.
“What am I to say to Allen that this is going to be a fair process if we’re putting him in a safe cell when he’s not supposed to be in there?” he said. “At a minimum, I should be apologizing to him. We are obligated to make sure he’s taken care of. Mr. Allen, I’m sorry that things have not been the way they are supposed to.”
Addressing Allen directly, Faruqui added, “The jail is going to let me know by tomorrow morning about what’s going on with your housing situation,” and encouraged him to continue requesting legal access and improved conditions.
“We will get you the Bible,” he said. “If we can get someone vegan food, we can get you a Bible, we can make sure you’re not in five-point restraints.”
The hearing followed a weekend of filings and reversals by defense attorneys, who initially sought changes to Allen’s confinement but later withdrew their request after being told suicide precautions had been lifted.
Despite that withdrawal, the judge ordered an emergency hearing and required the prosecution, defense, and corrections officials to explain Allen’s conditions in court.
Allen remains in custody and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 11.
