The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Grieving parents seek change after daughter’s suicide in jail
The parents of a young woman who killed herself in jail after enduring “horrific experiences” have called for a review of Scotland’s prison system.
Katie Allan’s family said yesterday they wanted a meeting with the justice secretary as they launched a campaign calling for change.
The 21-year-old geography student was convicted at Paisley Sheriff Court in March for a drink-driving offence which saw her injure pedestrian Michael Keenan and she was sentenced to 16 months in jail.
Stuart and Linda Allan say their daughter was bullied in Polmont Young Offenders Institution near Falkirk and lost more than 80% of her hair due to the state of her mental health.
She died at Polmont in June.
Mrs Allan said: “Katie absolutely broke the law, that is not in dispute.
“The hardest thing for us to accept is how devastatingly Katie was let down by those that were ultimately responsible for her care.”
The review would cover the prison service, women in custody and the provision of mental health services.
It would also look at how to reform the Fatal Accident Inquiry system, which the family say is no longer fit for purpose as they can take years to complete.
Their lawyer, Aamer Anwar, added: “This is an issue not just to the families of the deceased, but prison staff who do not have the resources to deal with mental health provision as well as the aftermath of a suicide.”
A spokeswoman for the the Scottish Prison Service said: “All deaths that occur in Scottish prisons are subject to a Fatal Accident Inquiry and, as such, it would be inappropriate to comment further until this takes place.”