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End these prison deaths
• OCTOBER 24 was the third anniversary of my son Paul’s death, aged 40, in Pentonville Prison. As I have done each year on that date I had a vigil outside the prison and left flowers.
So far this year, there have been 70 self-inflicted deaths in custody (this includes seven women and five youths). Prisons have a legal duty of care. When a death occurs in state custody the burden is on the detaining authorities to provide a satisfactory and convincing explanation.
In the absence of such, article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights is breached. I am awaiting a judicial review into my son’s death. The main issues at Paul’s inquest were that prison officers had ignored his emergency cell light for approximately 30 minutes while playing backgammon. They should have responded within 30 seconds. The audible buzzers on the cell alarm panel had been muted by having masking tape placed over them.
The jury criticised the prison for systematic failures, including breach of security, lack of communication and disablement of the alarm system. The prison ombudsman representative said: “The whole system had fallen into disrepute.”
Someone has to be held accountable for my son’s death. When our loved ones come into contact with the criminal justice system we do not expect them to die. The Ministry of Justice must take urgent action to stop these deaths.
GWEN CALVERT
(Address supplied) E8
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