A correctional officer working in the wing where Jeffrey Epstein was incarcerated the night he died searched his case on the internet less than an hour before his death ... this according to Department of Justice records.

Tova Noel -- a former guard at Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Lower Manhattan, New York City -- did a couple Google searches about Epstein's case on August 10, 2019 around 5:43 AM. The convicted pedophile was found dead around 6:30 AM.

Noel searched "latest on Epstein in jail" and clicked on an article about documents related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, her newly released search history reveals.

Worth noting ... Epstein wasn't the only inmate who drew Noel's interest -- after looking up Epstein, she searched for the latest info on Omar Amanat.

Amanat was convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy in 2017 ... and he was locked up alongside Epstein at the time of his death.

Noel also googled a variety of other subjects that morning ... including discounts through Verizon for law enforcement.

Remember ... Noel and another guard on duty -- correctional officer Michael Thomas -- were fired after Epstein's body was found. Prosecutors accused them of not completing their 30-minute rounds as mandated. Criminal charges against the pair were filed and later dropped.

Noel has denied having anything to do with Epstein's death. When asked about googling him by the DOJ, she told the department she didn't recall doing so.