Two prisoners have died at a women’s jail within days of each other, sparking serious concerns over healthcare.
Both women were inmates at HMP Bronzefield in Ashford in Surrey where Lucy Letby and Constance Marten are both being held, and one was just 25 years old.
One of the women died on the detox wing, according to a source who spoke to the Mirror.
A prisoner told the newspaper the healthcare at the jail was ‘dire’.
She added: ‘It’s so sad what’s happened here today.
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‘There is no proper healthcare at all… That’s two in less than two days. This woman that died last night, she was really young and she was detoxing.’
She said inmates were scared to go to sleep now because they feared they wouldn’t wake up and that inmates were dying unnecessarily.
Sodexo, a private company which runs the prison, and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman are investigating both deaths, the Mirror reports.
(Credits: High Level/Shutterstock)
Surrey Police have confirmed the two deaths with Metro and said it is investigating but doesn’t believe the circumstances surrounding either are suspicious.
An NHS England spokesperson told Metro: ‘We are deeply concerned by reports of two deaths at HMP Bronzefield in recent days.
‘While we are unable to comment on individual cases, NHS England is working with the healthcare provider and HMPPS to fully understand the circumstances and will ensure all appropriate action is taken.’
Surrey Police told Metro: ‘We were called to HMP Bronzefield in Ashford around 4.30pm on 28 July, following a report of the discovery of the body of a prisoner.
‘The death is being treated as unexplained, and an investigation is underway. It is not believed there are any suspicious circumstances or third party involvement at this time.
HMP Bronzefield
HMP Bronzefield is the only purpose-built private prison in the UK for just women, and the largest female prison in Europe.
The jail, run by Sodexo Justice Services, opened in 2004 and received an additional 77-bed unit in 2009 taking its capacity to 572 prisoners.
Its most high profile inmates include Lucy Letby, convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven more, Constance Marten, found guilty, alongside her partner, last month of the manslaughter of their baby, and Beinash Batool, who together with her husband, killed his ten-year-old daughter, Sarah Sharif.
‘Officers attended HMP Bronzefield in Ashford around 9am on Thursday, 31 July following a report of a death of an inmate.
‘An investigation into the circumstances is underway. It is not believed there are any suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement at this time. A file is being prepared for the coroner.’
In 2019 a newborn baby died at Bronzefield Prison after a teenage inmate gave birth alone in a cell despite calling for help, a damning report found.
She was even forced to bite through the baby’s umbilical cord it said.
The 18-year-old and her lifeless child were not discovered for a full 12 hours after she initially called for a nurse, said the watchdog, which found a string of failings in her care.
The Metro has contacted Sodexo for comment.
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