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PROBE INTO COURT CELL SUICIDE BID
Overcrowding crisis meant four men held overnight
AN investigation is underway after a prisoner tried to hang himself in cells at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court.
An overcrowding crisis in the Prison Service meant the man, who has not been identified, was one of four prisoners kept overnight in the court on Monday – an emergency measure only used in cases of extreme shortage.
The internal investigation has been launched within the Prison Service.
Lawyers working at the court are up-in-arms over what they see as a measure which directly threatens the safety of their clients.
The cells with hard benches and no toilet, washing facilities or beds are designed for temporary use to hold defendants awaiting court appearances. Although the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) said alternative sanitation facilities were provided to prisoners, they could not say what these were.
One solicitor said: “When the prisons in London are full, prisoners are first taken to jails out of the city, then housed in police stations.
“On Monday there 476 prisoners should have been taken to prisons were held in police cells.”
Legal Aid solicitor Robert Kaim said: “It’s hardly surprising the individual acted in this way. If you’re alone for two minutes you can feel lonely and despair. If you’re alone in a restaurant for two hours, you feel abandoned by the world, if you’re in a cell alone, taken to court, withdrawing from drugs, charged, sent back to the cells, with no lavatory, no washing facilities and no bed, losing track of time, you get nervous. There’s nothing left in life because you’re frightened and alone.”
He added: “Two representatives from the Lord Chancellor’s Department were sitting with the district judge today. Perhaps such people should spend 24 hours in cells similar to police cells not designed for custody.”
A combination of trained prison staff and private contractors charged with transporting prisoners stayed overnight to look after the detainees.
Legal Aid solicitor Theresa Hendrickx said: “The Government should acknowledge the prisons can’t house the number of prisoners currently in the system and come clean about the numbers in facilities not designed for the purpose. They must accept this appalling overcrowding is putting the safety of prisoners at risk.”
Human rights solicitor Matt Foot said: “It’s absolutely appalling that we’ve got to this stage. As we can see from this incident it’s unsafe for them and for everybody.
“It’s quite clear the prisons are full of people on remand or on much less serious offences. If we just cleared the prison of people with serious mental health problems we would solve the overcrowding problem today.”
A DCA spokeswoman said court cells are used only as a measure of last resort, on condition the cells will not be used to keep a person known to be at risk of self harm and for one night only, except on Saturdays.
She added: “Prisoners would be in the custody of at least one prison service governor grade who has the powers, authority, protection and privileges of a “constable”. Contingency arrangements are also in place – including an on-call doctor and procedures in the event of fire, bomb threats or if evacuation is required.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “We think prisons should be reserved for dangerous and violent persistent offenders. There are other ways of punishing people but it’s the courts that decide that.”
A spokesman for Islington Police said: “Islington Police Station does not use this facility as it is not a designated police station.”
The court is also under the microscope after it emerged that prisoners were kept in their cells during two fire drills on Monday despite members of the public and staff being evacuated.
The decision on whether or not to evacuate prisoners rests on the shoulders of the private company charged with transporting inmates.
Hillrise councillor and solicitor Greg Foxsmith said: “The prisoners were all left locked up in their cells. There wasn’t actually a fire but it was a concern because they should be testing out their procedures. Prisoners are supposed to be put in a bus.
“I’m absolutely staggered and shocked to hear the court is being used to keep prisoners in overnight. It’s a new low to use the courts which are not properly designed for it.”
Borough commander for Islington Fire Service Peter Cowup said he could not comment on the specific incident but added: “I would expect them to consider the prisoners’ safety but this is not a normal prison evacuation. It would depend on the circumstances. There has to be a balance between their safety and the need to maintain security.” |
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