Prisons director sorry if protocols not followed in inmate’s death
A senior member of the Scottish Prison Service has apologised if protocols were not followed in the death of an asthmatic prisoner whose father said died alone in his cell during the pandemic.
Allister Purdie, director of operations for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), made the apology at the Scottish Covid Inquiry.
It came after Alan Inglis said last year that his son Calum, 34, was never seen by a nurse and died "without help, without dignity” at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian.
Speaking outside the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry when it began in edinburgh in October, his father called on the probe to deliver accountability.
Mr Inglis said his son tested positive for Covid-19 on October 12 2021 while serving a short sentence at the privately run prison and died on October 24 after his health deteriorated rapidly.
He said: “Calum was unvaccinated and was asthmatic. Within the next 12 days Calum’s health would deteriorate rapidly. Throughout this entire period he was not seen by a nurse.
“He reported being breath less and coughing up significant amounts of blood. In the last four days of his life he repeatedly requested medical attention via his cell intercom, to be promised by the prison officers that someone would see him. On October 242021, two years today, my son was found unresponsive in his cell. he died alone, without help, without dignity.
“The Scottish Covid Inquiry must find out which protocols the prison were following at this time, protocols that would allow such barbaric behaviour to take place, and to examine the staff work culture within that prison where staff must have known how ill my son was, yet did nothing.
“I am looking for accountabilityand looking to this inquiry to deliver it.”
Giving evidence at the inquiry yesterday, Mr Purdie was questioned on the protocol for deaths in prison. He said a review would be carried out, followed by a fatal accident inquiry. Mr Purdie said there should be “early communication with family”, through contact by senior member of the establishment, usually a governor, followed up by the chaplaincy or anyone who was close to the person who died.
Raising Mr Inglis’s evidence, senior counsel to the inquiry Alan Caskie KC said: “We heard evidence before christmas from a gentleman who lost his son whilst in prison and the mechanism you described did not reflect his experience at all.
“Have you had the opportunity to review what was said at the time?”
Mr Purdie replied: “I haven't personally and I really apologiseif that has not happened. i' ve not had the opportunity to either formally review or actually look at the details of that case.”
HMP Addiewell is a private prison run by Sodexo Justice Services on behalf of the SPS.
Mr Purdie said there would be a difference due to death being at Addiewell in the format of the death in prison learning outcome review, but he would “still expect a director or a deputy director to follow that contact with the family”.
He added: “Apologies, I don’t have the details because I’ve not spoken to the director who was there at the time who has now left the company.”