CALL FOR BETTER CHECKS OF PRISONERS

Mental-health checks of prisoners need to improve, Christchurch
Coroner Richard McElrea says.

The Corrections Department has been urged to consider specialist
mental-health screening as part of its health programme.

The proposal follows the suicide of remand inmate Hayden Richard Hall
at Paparua Prison in 2001.

An inquest conducted by Mr McElrea found that six at-risk assessments
of Hall, 24, were deficient.

Hall denied having a drug or alcohol problem when his Corrections file
showed that he clearly did.

His responses to medical staff were not properly cross-referenced with
this information.

Mr McElrea also recommended:

Greater access for health professionals to an inmate's documented drug
and/or alcohol history.

More emphasis on suicide-prevention programmes.

More thorough patrols by officers on night-shift at Paparua
Prison.

Better response to calls for visits from families of remand
inmates.

Mr McElrea found that Hall, who had alcohol and drug dependencies, was
likely to have died in a cell in the remand unit at the prison on
October 7, 2001.

Hall had been in custody awaiting sentence on robbery, burglary, motor
vehicle, and drug charges.