JAIL FAILINGS COST OUR BOY HIS LIFE

Prison staff have been accused of failing in their duty of care by
relatives of a sick inmate who died a few days after he was locked up.

A month-long inquest into the death of 23-year-old Stephen Brown ended
yesterday.

Evidence showed other inmates alerted warders to his condition and it took
another day for nursing staff to take action.

By the time the drug addict collapsed in showers at HMP Doncaster, he was
suffering blood poisoning and died later in the town's Royal Infirmary.

His parents are still furious that custody officers refused to remove his
handcuffs when he was taken to hospital, while too weak to escape.

The jury returned a narrative verdict that Mr Brown died on March 19,
2003, after being transferred from Marshgate to Doncaster Royal Infirmary,
suffering fatal blood infection due to intravenous drug abuse.

Jurors decided Stephen first showed signs of illness on March 15 but
custody officers were not fully aware until March 16, when it was drawn to
their attention by other inmates.

Nurses were made aware by custody officers on March 16 that he was unwell
but nothing was done until March 17.

Although it was prison policy not to remove a sick inmates' handcuffs at
hospital, the jury decided it had not impeded his treatment.

Afterwards, Stephen's 50-year-old father, also called Stephen, a company
director, of Aston, near Rotherham, said they had waited five-and-a-half
years for justice and thanked the jury.

He said: "We made the mistake of being relieved when Stephen was in prison
as we were under the impression he would be looked after and able to
obtain treatment for his addiction.

"We heard in this inquest how the prison completely failed our son and
failed to spot how ill he was. During the last few days at Doncaster
Prison the staff failed in their duty of care."

Mr Brown said staff at DRI "commented they had never seen a young man in
such terrible condition." But he added: "Despite being severely ill and
unable to move, Stephen was handcuffed.

"Our son was in prison for petty theft.

"He was a normal, loving, caring person with an infectious smile and
personality who fell in with the wrong crowd. Stephen did not deserve to
die in such distress and without dignity. Nobody does."

Mr Brown said he believed Doncaster Prison's healthcare unit was
under-resourced, under-staffed and the prison needed to change the way it
treated inmates' families.

A spokesman for HMP Doncaster said: "We offer our condolences. Since this
regrettable incident we have introduced an integrated drug treatment
service.

"It is commissioned by the local primary care trust and recognised as
providing current best practice for this vulnerable patient group."

Assistant Coroner John Sleightholme described those involved in the supply
of illegal drugs as having no conscience or moral standards.

The family have been supported in their five-year campaign by the
Sheffield-based charity Space 2, which supports families bereaved by drug
and alcohol abuse.