Mum demands answers: Why did my son have to die in prison cell?

Michael McDonagh in February become one of seven inmates to die in the privately-run prison in the last 14 months.

An inquest into his death is due to take place in Bolton early in 2020, but his mother Margaret McDonagh, 51, wants a thorough investigation into the tragedy.

She has enlisted the backing of Ashton and Failsworth MP Angela Rayner, who has written to Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and Forest Bank director Matt Spencer, about Michael.

Paranoid schizophrenia sufferer Michael was found by a fellow inmate dead in his cell at Forest Bank on February 19.

Margaret was informed of his death by telephone.

According to Ms Rayner and Margaret, for four days following the death, she received no communication from the prison, and id not even know where he son's body was taken.

"I only found this out after repeated phone calls from members of my family to the prison demanding answers," said Margaret, of Brompton Avenue, Failsworth.

"When I went to the mortuary, I was told that I could not enter the room where Mchael's body was and instead had to look at him through glass to say goodbye.

"My requests to the prison chaplain to visit Michael to say a prayer went unanswered.

"I was coldly presented with Michael;s belongings in three binbags. Many of his personal items were missing, others were covered in porridge oats due to the contents of his cell being squashed into bags so tightly."

Margaret said that before he went to prison in 2018 for a driving offence, he had been hospitalised three times relating to issues connected to his paranoid schizophrenia.

"He was on medication for this and was initially put into a prison wing that catered for his needs and where staff made sure he was given his medication as required," continued Margaret.

"With no notice, and without his family being informed, Michael was transferred to an open wing with the general prison population.

"He regularly phoned me to say he was being denied medication when the wing went into lockdown - sometimes for 22 hour - that he could hear voices in his head returning and that he couldn't cope with the behaviour of the guards and other inmates.

"I believe he would still be alive today if he hadn't been in Forest Bank."

Backing Margaret's comments, Ms Rayner said: "She has been truly let down by this prison and is still searching for answers.

"An internal inquiry has been launched and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman are investigating.

"Despite her immense pain and suffering, she is doing everything she can to prevent other families having to endure what she and her family have been through in the last seven months.

"Margaret is in contact with people who have relatives who are currently inmates and there are several that she has serious concerns about. Immediate action is needed."

Ms Rayner pointed to an inspection of Forest Bank led by Peter Clarke, HM chief inspector of prisons in May, 2019 which found it to be a generally well-led prison despite the report stating that more than half of vulnerable inmates said they feld unsafe and noting that violence had doubled since the 2016 inspection.

"Mr Clarke said use of force by staff had also risen and that self harm had increased significantly," she said. "Staff were said to be inexperienced and not asserting sufficient authority when dealing with incidents."

Ms Rayner said she was writing to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons to ask what action will be taken to implement the necessary improvements highlighted in Mr Clarke's report.

She also pointed to six other Forest Bank deaths in the last 14 months, one of which was 63-year-old Oldham man Raymond Lucy.

A reply to Ms Rayner from Forest Bank director Matt Spencer said: "You will be aware that all deaths in prison custody are subject to extensive investigation, most notably by the police, the Prison and Probation Ombudsman and, ultimately at the coroner's inquest.

"As such, respectfully, I will refrain from commenting on any matters directly or indirectly linked to the circumstances surrounding Michael's death."

He said that he and one of Forest Bank's family liaison officers went to Margaret's home address on February 19.

"We were advised by a young lady that Mrs McDonagh was not at home," he said.

"We established contact with her by phone with the intent of meeting up with her as soon as we could to break the sad news.

"Mrs McDonagh was travelling, was understandably anxious and wished to know the reason for our call and visit.

"We took a decision at the time to inform Mrs McDonagh there and then, to spare her any uncertainty.

I can assure you, and the McDonagh family, that all of our efforts to inform the family were done with genuine sensitivity and intent, but, of course, we understand that this must have been dreadful news for her to hear."

Mr Spencer said Michael's personal belongings from his cell were personally collected by Forest Bank's family liaison officer and bagged neatly into three separate robust but unmarked holdall bags.

He went on: "Other property which Michael had in separate storage was also given back to the family it had been packed by Michael, in prison service property bags. While this is standard practice, in hindsight, I accept that this could be managed in a more sensitive way and will review this process. I apologise for any distress caused and thank the family for this feedback."