Written Answers. - Psychiatric Assessment of Prisoner.
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:
18
Proinsias De Rossa
asked the
Minister for Justice
the reasons for the delay in carrying out a psychiatric assessment of a prisoner (details supplied) who was found dead in his cell in Mountjoy on 21 August, in view of his history of psychiatric problems; the reason for the delay in transferring him to the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin 16; the reason no attempt had been made to contact the prisoner's family prior to his death; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Deputy will appreciate that as there will be a full inquest into all the circumstances surrounding the death I am constrained in what I can say.
The person concerned was remanded on Friday, 16 August, to Mountjoy Prison. On committal he was attended by one of the prison medical orderlies and was placed under special observation which involves a prisoner being checked every 20 minutes. The following day, 17 August, the deceased was seen by the prison medical officer who prescribed medication. He was seen again by the medical officer on Monday, 19 August, and Tuesday, 20 August, and further medication was prescribed. In addition, on Tuesday, 20 August, he was seen by a psychiatrist from the Forensic Psychiatric Service of the Eastern Health Board which provide psychiatric services for prisons in the Dublin area. The psychiatrist made arrangements for the prisoner's transfer to the Central Mental Hospital for the afternoon of 21 August, 1991.
The deceased was last seen alive at 10 a.m. on 21 August. When checked again at 10.20 a.m. he was found to be in an unconscious state in his cell. He was removed immediately to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
It is normal procedure when a person is committed to prison to ask him whether he wishes to have his family contacted. In this case, the governor met the prisoner the morning after his committal and asked whether he wanted to have his family contacted but he declined.
As the Deputy will be aware, I recently published the Report of the Advisory Group on Prison Deaths. I have accepted the main thrust of the group's recommendations and they will form the basis of future policy on suicide prevention. One of the recommendations in the report refers to the provision of psychiatric services for prisoners. I have asked the director of Prison Medical Services to review, as a matter of urgency, with the Forensic Psychiatric Service of the Eastern Health Board, the adequacy of existing psychiatric services for prisoners in Dublin and to advise, as necessary, as to improvements.
