Teenager Dies at Polmont Young Offenders Institution
A 19-year-old man has died at Polmont Young Offenders Institution, a facility that faced significant criticism last year following the deaths of two other young inmates.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) confirmed that the teenager passed away at Polmont on Sunday.
Authorities have indicated that the death is not being treated as suspicious. The young man had been held in the protection wing for reasons unrelated to the offence for which he was incarcerated.
Previous Deaths and Inquiry Findings
In 2018, two young people, Katie Allan, aged 21, and William Brown, aged 16, took their own lives in separate incidents at Polmont. A sheriff subsequently ruled that their deaths could have been prevented if not for a "catalogue of failures" within the system.
At the conclusion of a joint fatal accident inquiry, Sheriff Simon Collins found that reasonable precautions could have been taken to avoid their deaths. He issued 25 recommendations, including urging the SPS to implement definite and practical measures to enhance cell safety.
Sheriff Collins stated that William Brown's death was the result of multiple individual and collective failures by both the SPS and healthcare staff at Polmont.
"Almost all of those who interacted with him were at fault to some extent."
The sheriff further noted that a reasonable precaution would have been to maintain observations on William, who had a history of suicide attempts.
Regarding Katie Allan, the sheriff highlighted several failures by staff to properly identify, record, and share information relevant to her risk. He also found that had Katie's cell been made safe, her death would likely have been prevented.
Response to Recent Death
The SPS confirmed that Police Scotland was notified of the teenager's death on Sunday and that a fatal accident inquiry will be conducted.
An SPS spokesperson said:
"This is a tragic loss and our thoughts are with all those who knew and supported him.
In line with established procedures, Police Scotland have been notified and the case has been reported to the procurator fiscal.
A fatal accident inquiry will be carried out in due course."
The spokesperson added:
"We are committed to improving safety, care and wellbeing across the prison estate.
Together with our partners, we will continue to learn, deepen our understanding, and strengthen the systems and supports that protect people in our care."
