Investigation into death of prisoner on Christmas Day uncovers series of errors by authorities
The 28-year-old man was granted temporary release from Wheatfield Prison and was hospitalised two days later, dying at St. James's Hospital surrounded by family on December 25
An investigation into the death of a 28-year-old inmate on Christmas Day in 2022 has revealed a series of errors by prison authorities in the days leading up to the tragedy.
The man began his custodial sentence on November 22, 2021 and was granted full temporary release from Wheatfield Prison on December 20, 2022. This was intended to continue up to his remission date of January 4, 2023.
Two days after leaving Wheatfield, however, he was found unresponsive in Dublin city centre and was rushed to St. James’s Hospital, where he died surrounded by his family on Christmas Day.
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An investigation by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) subsequently unveiled a number of errors surrounding the man’s temporary release.
First, OIP inspectors noticed that official records showed the prisoner had first been committed on August 14, 2022 – almost nine months after his custodial sentence commenced.
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) explained that this discrepancy had occurred when he attended the emergency department at Tallaght University Hospital on August 13, 2022 and was mistakenly recorded as being “released” upon discharge.
This error meant that he had to be formally recommitted to Wheatfield Prison like a new inmate upon his return, and August 14, 2022 was therefore recorded as his committal date.
The conditions of his full temporary release in December 2022 required the prisoner to reside at an address in north Dublin that was listed on IPS records. He was also obliged to attend an appointment with a post-release support organisation.
However, the OIP established through its contact with the man’s sister that the address in north Dublin was that of an estranged ex-wife with whom he had not lived for several years.
There was no evidence to suggest that she had been contacted by prison authorities, and his listed next of kin could not be contacted about accommodation because she was also in prison at the time of his release.
In its report, the OIP noted that there was a checklist with 17 questions to be answered as part of the temporary release process. The second question asked whether the details of where the prisoner would reside following release had been confirmed.
This question was not addressed on the list but a handwritten note was added, reading: “Address in system.”
The requirement that the prisoner attend an appointment with the post-release support organisation was noted on the document, but no date was agreed.
The OIP said the form must be signed by the prison governor or officer in charge. The document bore a signature but this was illegible and the name was not printed in block capitals as required.
A number of recommendations were made following the investigation into the prisoner’s death, including that documentation relating to temporary release should be completed to ensure that contact has been made with all relevant parties prior to release.
The OIP also stated that post-release appointments should be arranged before a prisoner is discharged, adding: “It should not be left to the released person to arrange appointments.”
It said all personnel with responsibility for arranging and processing temporary release should be “reminded of their roles and responsibilities”, and errors about committal dates should be rectified immediately.
It recommended that IPS management ensure that signatures and handwriting on all documents are legible and supported by block capitals. The OIP noted that similar recommendations had previously been made in 2019.
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