By Staff writer                                                                          10/2/09
A series of failings at HMP Rye Hill prison that contributed to the tragic death of Michael Bailey, an inmate suffering from mentally illness has been slammed as reprehensible by health campaigners.

Dereliction of duty
Staff at the privately run prison, near Rugby, Warwickshire, failed to keep the 23 year old inmate  safe an inquest jury sitting before HM Assistant Deputy Coroner for Northamptonshire, Tom Osbourne, concluded.

Bailey was found hanged in the segregation unit of the jail, on 24 March 2005, which was run by GSL private security firm at the time. 

 During the inquest the jury had heard that, when Michael was discovered in his cell an officer was instructed to falsify the watch records before going to provide assistance.

In a highly critical verdict, the jury said the Bailey's death could have been avoided if staff at Rye Hill prison had carried out proper observations of him. They condemned the lack of trained and experienced staff in the segregation unit at the jail, which made it an unsafe place to hold a vulnerable inmate who had voiced plans for taking his own life.

The jury concluded that the prison had failed in relation to every single aspect of Bailey's  care that they had been asked to consider and that there was a ‘failure on the part of all staff to take responsibility for ensuring Michael Bailey's safety'.

Disregard for Bailey's welfare
During the five week inquest, distressing evidence was heard about the severe deterioration in Michael's mental health in the six days prior to his death.  His mother Caroline Bailey raised concerns after noticing marks on her son's neck during a visit on March 22.  But nothing was done and the father-of-one, from Ladywood, Birmingham, was found dead in his cell on March 24.

‘If just one of those involved had done their job properly, Michael could still be with us. They, each and every one owed Michael a duty of care and they failed him time and time again. I do not know how they can live with themselves,' Caroline Bailey said.

Michael, who had previously been described by all as a confident outgoing person, began to exhibit severe symptoms of psychosis, often crying uncontrollably, stating the walls and demons were speaking to him and telling staff at the prison he was ready to die. Michael had written a detailed farewell note to his family and on one occasion walked around the exercise yard naked for two hours reciting the Lord's Prayer.

‘The failure in prison staff's duty of care shows a blatant disregard for the welfare of those they are responsible for.  It beggars belief that an inmate would be allowed to walk around an exercise yard naked for two hours without the staff on duty taking action to help the prisoner to his own health and safety,' Jackie Maclean, manager of  Birmingham based Omincare community services said.  

The inquest jury heard that despite a suicide and self harm monitoring form (F2052SH) being opened for Michael, key events were not recorded in it and the document was rarely read by staff. Observations required to keep Bailey safe, which were supposed to be carried out six times an hour, did not take place and staff admitted to routinely falsifying these records.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice published in 2007 showed that an alarming rise of 40% in prison suicide rate.

With people from African Caribbean communities are only 2.9% of the national population but  make up 15% of the prison population despite black men having lower offending rates than thier white counterparts. Race equality groups are concerned that the systemic failings within the criminal justice system is hitting the black community hardest.

Series of shameful failures
‘This represents not just a series of shameful individual failures, but a fundamental failure by the Prison Service to ensure that privately-run prisons are safe and meet acceptable standards for those in their care,' Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST, said.

‘Until people in these positions are held accountable these things will continue to happen. It sounds like he was given the tools to take his own life,' Jackie Maclean, manager of Omincare said.

Tom Osborne, assistant deputy coroner for Northamptonshire, will now write to both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health about the lack of availability of secure beds in the prison and a failure to provide proper medical help.

He said: "I believe that in this day and age it is shameful that there is not the ability to transfer somebody who is in urgent need of medical attention to an appropriate hospital."

His views were echoed by Juliet Lyons, director of the Prison Reform Trust who have published a reported the continuing concerns of many independent monitoring boards that mentally ill prisoners are too often confined in prison segregation units rather than being sent to hospital.

She said: "To prevent further deaths, the Government should act immediately to ensure people who are mentally ill receive the treatment they need rather than condemning them to a tragic death in a bleak institution."

‘The shocking circumstances of Michael Bailey's death, the first of three controversial deaths at the privately-run HMP Rye Hill, highlight both an appalling breakdown in procedures designed to protect life and uncaring and inhumane treatment of a vulnerable man' Deborah Coles said.