The families of two people who took their own lives in a young offenders institution are to meet the First Minister and Justice Secretary as the Scottish Government considers “improvements” in the prison system.
Katie Allan, 21, and William Brown, 16, also known as William Lindsay, died in their cells at Polmont Young Offenders Institution (YOI) in 2018 within months of each other.
Glasgow University student Ms Allan was found dead on June 4 while serving a 16-month sentence for drink-driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Mr Brown, who had made repeated attempts on his life in 2017 which were detailed in reports provided on his admission to Polmont, was found dead in his cell on October 7 – three days after he was remanded due to a lack space in a children’s secure unit.
A sheriff found there were reasonable precautions by which both deaths might realistically have been avoided, and that systemic failures contributed to them, in his determination last week following a fatal accident inquiry into their deaths.
On Wednesday, the families’ solicitor Aamer Anwar announced they will meet with First Minister John Swinney and Justice Secretary Angela Constance on Thursday.
Ms Constance is expected to make a statement in Holyrood after the meeting where she will outline the steps taken to improve conditions in Scottish prisons.
A statement by Mr Anwar, on behalf of Ms Allan’s parents Linda and Stuart, and John Reilly, brother of Mr Brown, said: “Katie Allan was 21 years old when she was found in her cell at Polmont YOI, on June 4 2018, after taking her own life. Katie was a geography student at the University of Glasgow, who was jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving and causing serious injury.
“Katie had a mere number of days left to serve before being eligible for release, however was unable to cope with the stress, bullying and suffering she endured during her time at Polmont, and tragically ended her life.
“William Lindsay was only 16 when he was admitted to Polmont YOI and had spent only 72 hours there on remand before he was found dead in his cell on the October 7, 2018.
“William was an obvious high suicide risk, yet despite a known history of several suicide attempts and being in and out of care since the age of three, the absence of a space in a children’s secure unit meant he was remanded to Polmont. The desperate cries of a child went unheard, and on October 7, 2018 William’s body was found in his cell, after he had taken his own life.
“The families are to meet with the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs tomorrow, January 23, at 11am in the Scottish Parliament.
“Following this meeting, the Cabinet Secretary intends to make a statement to Parliament to update on the measures taken since the deaths of Katie and William and set out the Government’s commitment to make further improvements.”
At a press conference last week, Mr Anwar said the two youths were given a “death sentence” and some of those involved “should be facing criminal prosecution”.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The First Minister and Justice Secretary have invited the families to meet with them ahead of the Justice Secretary providing a statement to Parliament, and we are pleased they have accepted.”
