Katie Allan’s grieving mother has told how her daughter was “brutalised” at Polmont and was “not afforded her right to live”.
Katie, 21, was found dead in her cell after she took her own life at the young offenders institution near Falkirk in June 2018. A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into her death and the suicide of 16-year-old William Lindsay four months later ruled that both tragedies “could have been avoided”.
The findings of the joint probe, which were made public on Friday morning, identified a series of shocking failures and defects at the hands of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and healthcare staff at HMP Polmont. Specifically, on multiple occasions, staff failed to pass on vital information that could have prevented the suicides of both inmates.
The FAI also identified that Katie, a Glasgow University student, had not been considered a “risk” at her time of admission, so she wasn’t placed on the Talk to Me (TTM) suicide prevention scheme. Additionally, documents that had her admission of her history of self-harm, had been lost.
Katie’s mum, Linda, said: “Katie was brutalised in Polmont, so much so that she lost all hope and saw only one solution – her death. She did not ‘thrive’ as claimed by a witness at her FAI – she was bullied, she was petrified, she was lost.
“She lost her hair and was taunted, her mental health suffered, and one nurse couldn’t even be bothered recording accurate records on their antiquated systems.
“Katie was not afforded her right to life and we have not been afforded a prompt or transparent investigation into Katie’s death. The FAI system is broken, families are overwhelmingly denied legal representation due to means tested legal aid.
“The prison service literally gets away with creating the circumstances by which people die prematurely, no sanctions exist, they cannot be criminally prosecuted. Unless this changes, another Katie or another William will lose their lives, three have already done so in Polmont since 2018.”
Sheriff SG Collins KC, who led the inquiry, said that during her incarceration there was a “systemic failure” by prison staff to complete “concern forms” that could have triggered the TTM process – pointing to a number of incidents recorded by prison staff that should have been red flags. These included the fact Katie was being bullied by other prisoners, distress caused by hair loss resulting from alopecia, distress at being strip searched and the failure of her appeal against her conviction.
Her weight also dropped from 65kg to 58kg during her 12 weeks at the facility, which Sheriff Collins said should have been a “cause for concern” by staff. Following his determination, the Sheriff set out 25 recommendations which might realistically prevent other deaths in similar circumstances.
Solicitor Aamer Anwar, who represents both families, said: “In Katie’s case the red flags were there in her medical records, again like William ignored- her weight loss, loss of hair, repeated bullying, even being told by a prison officer she had too many books, the targeted strip-searching of a terrified young woman that humiliated and distressed her- and then ultimately the double bunk beds and ligature points that resulted in her death – all the warning signs ignored.
“There was nothing inevitable about William and Katie taking their own lives, it was clear to anybody that cared to look, that they were vulnerable and at risk of taking their own lives. Locking people up in dungeons of despair doesn’t rehabilitate anyone. It institutionalises violence and increases the risk of suicide.
“The families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay for years have held the SPS, the Health Service and care system directly responsible for their deaths, today the findings of Sheriff Collins vindicated that belief.”
Under the Sheriff’s recommendations, the SPS has been ordered to introduce a series of new measures to prevent suicide at Polmont – including a dedicated 24-hour telephone number for families to report concerns and a portal to allow external agencies to provide information relevant to a prisoner’s risk.
The SPS must also establish a system whereby any bullying concerns relating to a young prisoner are promptly and proactively shared with prison officers. Scottish Ministers have been ordered to establish a system which ensures that all written information and documentation available to a court when a young person is sent to custody is passed on to SPS at the time of their admission.
A spokesperson for SPS said: “Our thoughts remain with the families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay and we would like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere condolences and apologies for the failures identified in this report. We are committed to doing everything we can to support people and keep them safe during the most challenging and vulnerable periods of their lives.
“We are grateful to Sheriff Collins for his recommendations, which we will now carefully consider before responding further.”
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