Prisoner's family learnt about death from rumour

The family of a man who died in prison first heard about his death via a rumour, an investigation has found.

James Bailey, 24, took his own life at HMP The Mount in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, on March 1, 2022, days after being transferred from HMP Bedford, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

An investigation by the Prisons & Probation Ombudsman found his aunt was told the news the following day when she rang the prison after hearing rumours of his death.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We have accepted and implemented the ombudsman's recommendations, including reminding staff of the importance of ensuring all relevant information is included when transferring prisoners."

The ombudsman found that police officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary rather than a family liaison officer from the prison had agreed to break the news to Mr Bailey's aunt.

The address officers visited, provided by the prison, was incorrect and they found the correct address only after Mr Bailey’s aunt had called the prison to get confirmation of the news.

Prison staff were unaware the police had been unable to speak to Mr Bailey’s aunt and had informed Mr Bailey’s father, who was also imprisoned in HMP The Mount, of his death.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police said the delay in speaking to Mr Bailey’s next-of-kin was "due to a record-keeping error".

The ombudsman found that Mr Bailey had received "upsetting news" about his partner's pregnancy on February 26 while he was held at HMP Bedford, but the information was not passed on to HMP The Mount.

Mr Bailey was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison in 2015 for offences including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was prescribed antidepressants at HMP Bedford and in February, on arrival at The Mount, he asked a nurse for a referral to the mental health team, which was granted.

However, the ombudsman found the nurse had not asked Mr Bailey the reasons for his mental health self-referral.

It said the head of healthcare at the prison should, in future, "ensure that the reasons for mental health referrals are clearly documented so that staff can assess any potential risks".

The report recommended that the prison's family liaison officer should remain in contact with police so they are kept updated about when officers will speak to next-of-kin.

The ombudsman said it was "disappointed" by the prison's failure to provide evidence to its investigation.

It had asked for a recording of a call from the day of Mr Bailey's death, during which he reportedly told his aunt "he was going to take his own life", but the prison had no record of it.

There was also a delay in calling for an ambulance as the first officer on the scene shouted for help without using the appropriate emergency code on her radio, which had run out of battery.

The ombudsman said it was unlikely the delay had an impact on Mr Bailey’s chances of survival, but similar delays in another emergency could "make a difference to the outcome".

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