Inquiry as prisoner is found dead in his cell
AN inmate has been found dead in his jail cell.
The prisoner, believed to be a man in his 30s, was found dead at Forest Bank in Salford on Saturday.
An investigation has been launched. The death follows a string of fatalities at the prison in 2019.
A spokesman for HMP Forest Bank, which is operated for the Ministry of Justice by Sodexo, said: “We can confirm that, sadly, there was a death in custody at HMP Forest Bank on Saturday, 27th March. Next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them. We will work with all relevant authorities and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
The cause of death has not yet been determined.
The Category B prison has capacity for 1,460 prisoners and is run by Sodexo Justice Services. Because of the coronavirus lockdown, prisoners spend as much as 23 hours each day locked in their cells. It is known that last week one inmate refused to attend a prison video booth to be sentenced remotely by a judge because it clashed with his limited exercise time.
Five inmates died at the prison within a 14-month period until September 2019.
Among them was Raymond Lucy, 63, who was found dead in his cell on July 11, 2019. Mr Lucy - who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - was jailed for firing an air pistol during a drunken visit to his ex’s house. His loved ones visited him in prison a day before his death and told the M.E.N. that he had appeared ‘grey’ and ‘ill looking.’
Mr Lucy, from Chadderton, Oldham, was ‘too scared to sleep because he couldn’t breathe’ and ‘had a fear of dying,’ they said.
In February 2019, Michael McDonagh, 27, was found unresponsive in his cell. His mum Margaret said her son had been returned to prison following a serious driving offence and suffered with mental health issues.
Just a few months earlier, in September 2018, John Winchcole, 36, was also found dead in his cell. And in July 2018, a 50-year-old unnamed man suffered a medical episode at the prison shortly before passing away.
Five wings of Forest Bank had to be placed in lockdown due to a spate of coronavirus cases in February.
Inmates have previously described heightened tensions behind the walls at Forest Bank
Two inmates who had just been released from Forest Bank also spoke to the M.E.N. last April during the first lockdown.
One said: “It was very scary. You can’t do anything. Everyone was getting depressed. Also they don’t have enough staff, so medication was late.
“Everything is shut down - no visits, no access to the gym, nothing - ten minutes’ exercise, and then stuck behind your door. Also, as the weather improves the cells are hot.”
The second said: “It’s a ticking time bomb. When we did get on the exercise yard there were 60 others there - they are expecting cons to adhere strictly to self distancing rules.”
The latest death will be investigated by the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.